The Romero Files
by thedallasdude
Summary: Stories of survival in a world of zombies.


Chapters in The Romero Files 'Chronicles of the Dead'

The Beginning

The Morgue

The Cematary

The Morgue

The Cematary

The Morgue

the Morgue

The Cave

The Morgue

The Cematary

The Gas Station

The Hospital

Swan and Paulie

Travis and Josh

People Meet

Dead Examples

The Armory

The Missile Silo

The Armory

Swan and Paulie

A Day in the Life

Coop in Jail

More Dead Stories

The Missile Silo

Leaving the Amory

Gordon,Tillman and Father Rueben

The President

The Prison

Gunny and Coffee

The Group Begins

Father Rueben

Jackson Smith

The Missile Silo

The Group

Lovers and Friends

Shit Happens

Reunited

Prison Falls

Gunny Leaves

The Final Chapter

The Beginning

The end of the world began a million years ago somewhere in the distant edges of the universe. A planet with a unstable core...blew.  
>Not a big deal in the scheme of things for the universe...but a organism that existed only on that planet was scattered into the dark void...a organism determined to live...<p>

It was a exciting discovery for astronomers of all ages, a astroid of unusual size was going to pass very near the earth,on its journey across the ,at least at that time,by any,the astroid had a hitchiker within its tail of debre that stretched behind it for thousands of miles.

The Morgue

THE MORGUE

Tom Beckler was one pissed-off guy...Tom,a ametur stargazer,was the night atendant at the new city morgue,work was not the problem.. rain was Toms agravation. ...unending ,pouring rain...  
>Standing at the main entrance door to the morgue,he watched the rain pour down.<br>Shit! he muttered to himself, I won't see fuckin shit with this goddamn rain! Turning he walked towards the vacant security booth,still muttering curses to himself. Entering the booth ,he leaned over flipped on the security moniters...armed the security system...and flopped into the nearest chair...and waited for the bank of moniters to warm up.  
>A MORGUE...I work in a fucking morgue...a dead end job..babysitting a bunch of fuckin dead stiffs...SHIT !<br>He was thankfull that he was now working at the new morgue.  
>When he first started working for the county,they placed him at the old morgue...he continusly got sick..from the reaction of the years of acumulation of formaldehyde and many other noxios chemicals...he was ready to quit when his supervisor transfered him to the new morgue. He no longer got sick from the smells..but he still got the creeps having to work the graveyard shift..alone in the house of dead.<br>Only Stephen King could enjoy this fucking place he muttered Damn place still gives me the creeps..just lucky it does'nt smell like dead meat anymore...I could handle this place a lot better if I could just crank up the heat a little...fuckin city and their fuckin economy drives to save money." He over at the security moniters,he saw they had not come on yet.  
>"Now what the fuck...goddamn rain must have fucked with the fuckin cables...FUCK,FUCK,FUCK... shit...means i gotta check the cold rooms myself...shit this just ain't my night!" he complained ...He slapped the switch controlling the moniters and reached under the desk to remove a small t.v. the day gaurd kept there,plugging it in and turning it on to warm up,he decided to take a quick walk thru the cold rooms and do the first of several security checks required by the city if the moniters went he left the booth and walked over to the elevator that would take him down one level to the prep and storage rooms.<br>"Maybe I'll at least see some of the meteor shower on the boob tube." He muttered as he entered the elavator,punching the down button he leaned against the elevator wall and watched the doors silently,slowly close...feeling the slight downward motion of the elavator,he shuddered and complained i dont care what anyone says...i can feel it get colder as i go down...Damn i gotta start bringin a jacket to work... The elavator reached the lower level and silently opened..Tom stepped thru and crossed the hall to the first storage thru the double swinging doors,he entered the long cold storage around,he thought how glad he was that he didnt have to spend much time in these rooms full of the dead,waiting for someone to claim them for burial.  
>The storage room,one of several was long and narrow..along each wall were dull silver doors,stacked three high and ran the length of the each door was a corpse...some dead by natural causes...some not. Tom sometimes had nightmares about him walking thru the room and suddenly hearing one of the doors chunking open...in his dreams he could never make himself turn and face whatever caused the door to open...Walking the length of the room he was spooked by the hollow sounds of his footsteps,and started talking out loud to himself,just to hear a voice even if it was his own...Well ladies and gentlemens...your stay here will just be a short one,so ya'll just lay back...and stay cool ,ya hear...<br>Snickering at his little joke about staying cool he aproached the swinging doors at the far end of the room,he stopped and turned to count yellow tags hanging from the handles of the ocupied just three tags in this room he cracked Not many tenants tonight snickering again he pushed thru the doors into the next room...jokes and calling the dead tenants was his way of coping with being surounded by death eight hours a night...little did he know how close and personal he would get with death before the night was over... 

The Cematary

Sharon Chambers

Sharon watched as the camera crew rushed to finish laying all the cables from the transmit van and generator ..to the spot they had decided as the spot for the broadcast Slightly shaking her head she thought to herself This is one hell of a way to build a career in television,..I start at the bottom working my ass off,and here I stand waiting for a bunch of space rocks to appear  
>Still waiting for the camera techs to finish,she reflected about her short,but rapid rise in the t.v. game. She had left college with a degree in communications clutched in one hand,a stack of resume's in the other and a strong determination to succeed. She was determined to succeed in a field that few women had much luck in,in fact most women never got any further than being the blonde bimbo weather girl,or reporting on some bullshit flower garden party. Her first job,at a small<br>local station in her home town was really nothing more than being a gopher...go for this...go for that...because she was smart and a quick learner,she was able to learn all aspects of th t.v. game from top to learned how to run every piece of equipment she could get her hands on,and became invaluable to the station manager as a go-between from management and the technicians.  
>Her first big break came with a little luck and a major flu epidemic running rampant thru the one of the few not struck down with the flu,arrived at work with the feeling that something exciting would happen that spent the morning answering phones and filing recieved a call that something big was about to bust loose at city that tip and calling in some favors from a friend at the da's office,she was first to file a story that created a power structure to crumble within the city government.<br>With that story she was promoted to reporting and she quickly gained a reputation as one who worked hard for a story,fair in her reports and believed strongly if finding and getting the truth to the public." So what went wrong?" she thought,"I went from an enterprising upward newsperson,at a hole in the road station...and here i am...chasing space rocks and describing how pretty they are to John Q. Public...I think I'm due for a change..."  
>Glancing at her watch and relizing it was almost time for her cue,she walked over to Gary,her she aproached ,Gary looked up from the schedule he was working on and spoke.".Ah Sharon your right on time as crew is set up and ready...we ll go air in about five you need to do on this segment is describe the events leading up to the comet passing the earth and what kind of meteor shower we can expect to see. Thenas the shower begins,just give your best description...I ll have camera two on the shower and we ll do a split screen...sound ok to you ?<br>Sure Gary,sounds great to me...but if we can let s wrap this as soon as possible...maybe we can have time to stop at that cemetary we passed down the road.I bet we can get some really good background shots for the Leaderman story!  
>Great idea babe...let s get this show on the road..grab your mic and hit your spot,that meteor shower should be hitting any minute...and remember,babe,smile real big and let everyone know that the big party is about to begin... <p>

The Morgue

the morgue

Tom finished checking all the rooms,walked back to the elavator to return to the main for the elavator doors to open he grumbled something about his luck...waiting weeks to see the meteor shower...and what happens..rain...fucking rain .  
>Returning to the main floor he left the elavator ,passing the security booth he glanced over at the security moniters and saw that they were still malfunctioning,but noticed that the tv was working. He passed the security booth and moved towards the front entrance. He pushed thru the inner set of doors and out of the next set and was outside under the covered awning,stopped and stared at the fiercly falling rain.<br>SHIT, SHIT and double SHIT ! He exclaimed, It s raining harder now than it was a half hour ago...FUCK it...I ll stay inside,stay dry and just watch it on the goddamn tv!  
>Muttering every foul epitath he could think of as he turned to renter the building,walking across to the security booth,he entered and threw himself down into a chair. Reaching down into his ditty bag,he dug around inside until he found a much used and favorite ciggarette tin. Pulling it out he flipped the lid open and shook out a pre-rolled joint. One of several that he rolled for each night at work.<br>"One good thing about working nights," he said out loud,"At least i can have a toke when i want one!" Sticking the joint between his lips,he dug into his jean pocket and pulled out a lighter and used it to lite the his first deep toke of the night,he filled his lungs with the pungent smoke and held his breath,fought the urge to cough,and leaned over to switch on the tv and changed the channel to his favorite the channel cleared he saw the new anchorwoman was on and with a loud whoosh,he hollered out...Hey baby,I do like your looks ! GREAT tits and killer legs... Honey I d like to tie you to a bed and really give you something to report about...oh yeah baby !  
>Taking a really deep hit on the joint,he reached over and turned up the volume and then settled back into the chair to watch the show...<p>

The Cematary

the Cemetary

Sharon started talking to the camera as soon as she saw the red light on top of the camera blink on.  
>Good evening is Sharon Chambers reporting live for station KTKS. We are set up several miles away from the city lights so we can try and get a sharper picture of the long awaited meteor have been watching the comet for many weeks ,the astrologers,have not been able to determine the comets point of origin ... they do agree that it comes from the other side of the universe... and by plotting it s course,they agree that it will continue thru our galaxy and astrologers do agree that it will not collide with the earth... but it will pass very close...close enough to provide us with a excellent meteor shower from the tail of the comet as it passes by the earth...tonight, possibly within minutes...any person able to view the shower should do so...it promises to be the grandest of all meteor showers...There is no danger of any large meteors striking the earth. All that will enter our atmosphere will be chunks of rock and dust and most all should burn to harmless cinders upon entering the atmosphere.<br>Pausing a moment as Gary patched some info to her thru her ear mic,she flashed a smile to the audience as to say pardon me just a sec Her smile grew even wider and she continued... Yes ladies and gentlemen I have just recieved a report that the aproaching is very near...people all over the world are using the coming meteor shower as a rewason to have huge outdoor parties to view this trhilling once in a lifetime event and some groups are starting betting pools as to what time the first meteor will be seen.  
>Sharon paused at a signal from Gary and waited as the camera did a slow scan of the back to Sharon she began again... Yes...we have just recieved word from our east coast affiliate that meteors are beginning to show over washington d c ...yes they are seeing more every second...we should begin to see them within moments..<br>Staring into the camera she did not see the first flashes of light. But did hear the first exclamations of suprise,changing to shouts of delight from the people around her. Glancing up, Sharon,for the first time in her career was completly speechless.  
>Above her the sky was quickly growing lighter as just a few meteors burned across the sky..within seconds a few became hundreds...then thousands.. Millions of flashes of light until it apeared as if a billion candles were streaking across the sky.<br>Regaining her composure,Sharon looked back at the camera and spoke quickly I wish you could be here to see this...never has mankind had the oputurnity to see a meteor shower of this magnitude...but for those of you unable to be outside to see this...i ll do my best to describe it to you...it is now almost as bright as day at this moment and should continue for several minutes... 

The Morgue

the Morgue

The ringing of the telephone shattere the silence. Tom,totally absorbed by the spectacle he was watching on the tv,nearly fell off his chair,but managed to only succeed in dumping his hot coffee in his loudly he stood up and started to wipe himself off with one hand and snatched up the phone with the longer cussing,but still pissed ..he growled into the phone  
>Hello,City Morgue,Tom Beckler speaking.<br>Hey Tom,this is Mark...from station 21...  
>Hey Mark,my main man,I havent heard from you in a coons age...are you getting a chance to check out the light show from God?<br>SHIT...I tell you what man...first it has to rain and get the streets slick...then it clears...and those damn meteors start falling..and I kid you not...when the rocks started falling ...the wrecks started right up  
>No shit!<br>I'm not shittin you one bit dude! Mark shot back These damn idiot drivers out here dont have the fuckin brains to pull over to watch the meteor shower,HELL NO, they rubberneck like crazy and drive right up the ass of the poor sumbitch in front of him ! Tom,your about to be one busy dude!  
>Fuck me ! Tom cursed I was afraid of that,any idea how many are coming my way ?<br>Can t say for sure just yet. We just got word of big pileup out on the loop,and dispatch told us to send all our pickups to you. So get ready...we are on the way in and all other mobiles will be right behind us.  
>Goddammit,that really chaps my ass,I should nt be surprised tho it just caps off my perfectly fucked up night...at least we got plenty of empty drawers...<br>Tom from what I hear on the 2-way,it just might come to stackin em 3 deep...I wish you luck cus I got more calls than I can shake a stick at ! I ll give you a call when things begin to slow down ok ?  
>Yea,thanks for the warning Mark. I ll get ready for the rush...see ya.<br>Hanging the phone on the hook,Tom reached over and snatched the last of the joint in the ashtray. One last toke and then it s hi ho hi ho off to work my sorry ass goes he snickered as he lit the joint and sucked the harsh smoke deep into his lungs. Leaving the security booth he entered the elavator and punched the down button then slumped against the wall of the elavator...

the Morgue

the Morgue

Hunger...we have all experienced it in one form or some it is that stomache twinge and growl,for others it is the pain of starvation,sometimes followed by death.  
>The microbes carried by the comet and its debre was a parasite...always hungry,never satisfied,never appeased. was about to make its apearance on planet earth.<p>

Tom had just finished digging out several forms he knew he would need for registring the incoming bodies,when he heard the driveway bell bong as the first ambulance backed to the loading grabbed several forms and stepped from the small office just as a man came thru the outer door,pausing to remove his rain slicker and shake water from it. Tom recognized the man as a friend of his and greeted him...  
>A little wet out there,huh?<br>Man you don t know the half of it,rain..wrecks..and all kinds of crap going on out there!  
>It s the moon...Tom joked<br>What?...th moon...  
>The moon is full Tom explained all kinds of crazy and weird things happen under a full moon...<br>Shit Tom..your probably right about that...anyway,where do you want us to start placing the stiffs?  
>Shit...I guess you can put them in prep room one...it s the first one on the right ..leave the paperwork for each one on the table beside it and i ll transfer the info onto the toe tags as I get to each one...<br>Whatever you say...wish we could stay and grab a cup of joe...but we have to dump this load and head right back out...calls are coming in faster than we can handle them...hell you ll probably see us again before the night is over..and maybe more...  
>O.K. guys...as much as I like ya ll...i hope I don t see ya again tonight! Tom said over his shoulder as headed back into the file room to grab more forms and tags.<p>

Shortly after the first ambulance left,more began to arrive and each ambulance barely had time to unload before another was waiting in seemed hours went by...but it only took two before the morgue was filled to capacity and Tom had to start diverting traffic to other locations.  
>Finally tom was alone again,he decided to stop long enough to fire up a doobie before getting started on the part he hated most of all.<br>Time to get ready for the shit work. He muttered as he took a deep hit off the joint,filling his lungs several times with the harsh smoke,he finally felt the first soothing rush he needed to prepare himself for the job at hand. After relaxing for a few more moments,he decided the best way to get the job done was to just go for it and finish as quick as he could. Pinching out the last inch of the joint he figured he better save a bit just in case his stomache started acting up.  
>Slipping the roach into his pocket,he stood up and grabbed his clipboard and a handfull of tags. Entering the first prep room,he wished he could turn up the heat a little,but then that would?nt help the smell at all...so the hell with it.<p>

Walking over to the first table,he avoided looking at the body on the table...he concentrated on picking up the papers beside the body and transfering the info onto the toe tags. A morbid curiosity got the better of him Looking down at the body his first thought was...well hell,if this is the worst of the lot,then I got it made...this one ain?t too bad..!

On the table before him laid a black man. The only thing visibly wrong that Tom could see,was the man s head The forehead,from just below the hairline and down to just above the eyebrows..was caved in...looked as if someone had hit him across the forehead with a 2 x 4 . The result of the blow made the eyes almost bulge out of their sockets. That and some blood from the nose and ears was all the damage he could see.. 

The Cave

the Cave  
>Travis and Steve<p>

Travis stopped moving when he heard a splash followed by total held his position and chuckled listening to his friend thrash around in the cold water...cussing a streak as he slipped several times before regaining his could'nt resist a perfect oputurnity for a jab..." Steve...you gonna swim around all day..or do you want to finish and get out of this damn cave?"  
>"FUCK YOU !" Steve blasted back...Motherfuckin,goddamit to hell...you and your friggin coin tosses are really beginning to chap my ass...<br>And get it wet... Travis snuck in  
>ASSHOLE! Steve responded at least turn on your lamp so I can get out of here without breaking my neck! Manoman I am one tired sonofabitch and now I gotta slop around here soaking wet...shiiiiiiiiiiiitttttt...i need a beer<br>Crouching,Travis reached down to his waist and flipped on his light and began to remove it. Here he said Take mine and lets keep moving...besides it was a fair toss and you know it budro !  
>Yeah,yeah I lost the toss HELL I always lose the damn toss! Steve muttered in reply.<br>Right,and loser had to lead...and that s you DUDE ! So move your wet ass! I m as tired and hungry as you are...just not as wet!  
>Yeah,yeah,yeah,yeah quite your bitchin and gimme the lamp and drag my sorry ass out of this sorry ass of a excuse for a cave Steve grumbled as he attached the lamp to his waist belt<br>Right,and watch your step...another slip like the last one and we will sit here in the dark until a lamp dries out...  
>A muttered fuck you was all Travis heard. Taking advantage of the short break he leaned against the damp wall of the cave to rest his sore knee. He could hear Steve muttering an ocasional blue word,atesting to the fact that he could nt finish a sentence without the use of a cuss word or two. Travis leaned his head back against the wall and let his thoughts drift,and thought about the first time he met his friend...in fact...cussing a blue streak was the first thing he ever heard from Steve...<p>

It was early in his senior year of high school. He was headed for the public library,a place where he had spent many a pleasant he was young he developed a unquenchable thirst for the printed word,anything was fair game for his searching loved to read so much...he could not go to sleep at nite without first reading for a few minutes.  
>Takeing a short cut thru the alley behind the library,he was about half way thru the alley when he heard a shout from the darkness moving closer he could see that three guys were crowded around one guy. Even tho the surounded guy was outnumbered and out sized,the guy was turning the air around him a cobalt blue with his swearing. Travis edged closer to the group and winced as he heard the language the guy was using. He remembered thinking about how many bars of soap his would have used washing out his mouth if she heard him use even ONE of those words around her.<br>Even tho Travis did nt think of himself as a fighter,he could nt stand to see someone ending up on the short end of the stick,especially when it was some very large guys ganging up on one smaller person.  
>Stepping from the shadows,Travis walked towards the group and hollered in the toughest voice he could muster,"Hey you guys...cut it out...three against one just ain t right!<br>Fuck you punk ! The biggest one said as he shoved the smaller guy into the arms of his two friends, this slimeball punk don t belong round here...and we re gonna teach him a lesson he wont forget so he ll stay out of our territory...  
>Hey,I don t know about any of that...all I know 3 against 1 is sucky odds...<br>Ok tough guy ...you want it fair...then you can join asshole here to even out the odds a bit...so take your pick...which one of us do you wanna take on first ?  
>Right then Travis knew he was in deep had never been in many fights while growing had found it easier to turn the other cheek rather than get his ass knew this was one of the times he could nt talk his way out.<p>

Trying to stall for time,hoping someone would come into the alley and maybe put a stop to what was about to looked over at the guy who was the reason for his being in the spot and asked Hey how you doin?  
>With a slight grin mixed with a grimace,the guy straightened up in the arms of the two thugs holding him and replied Well to tell you the truth,could be better,could be worse...<br>Hey Bruce the thug holding onto the guys right arm said to the big guy standing in front of Travis Why don t you let them flip a coin ...shit mouth here can call it and the loser gets his ass kicked first !  
>Bruce laughed, Good idea hesaid as he dug in his pocket for a out a quarter he tossed it to Travis and said...Since your so concerned about fair play and all that shit,you flip the coin,asshole here can call it and the loser gets to take me on first.<p>

Travis looked from Bruce to the guy he was forced to side with and recieved a grin and a slight wink. Travis shook his head,retrurned the wink and decided it was now or never. Without warning he flipped the coin high above their heads and said...  
>Call it.<br>HEADS ! The guy screamed as the coin arched about six feet above their heads...  
>while the coin held evryones attention,Travis spun and kicked the guy called Bruce square in the balls,Bruce screamed,cupped his balls and grabbed a board from the rubbish around his feet and moved towards the two thugs holding the other at seeing their leader on the ground crying and puking,their prisoner stomped on one thugs foot,then spun to trip the the other thug backwards...<br>Relizing they had one chance,Travis and the guy ran like hell for the street .Bursting from the alley they ran along the side of the library and turned and turned at the corner and ran for the safety of the well lighted entrance. As they pounded up the library steps Travis was amazed at the guys audacity...one minute about to get his ass creamed...and the next running loose and cool and laughing.  
>Stopping outside the library doors to catch their breath before entering ,Travis had to ask Okay,whats so funny about both of us nearly getting our asses kicked all over the damn alley ?<br>Bending over to catch his breath,the other guy snickered again before ansering.  
>I m sorry man...I really appreciate your help...the coin toss...i lost it before you took on Bruce...and the quarter...i grabbed it before running...now those assholes will never know who lost..AND I got Bruce s quarter !<br>Succumbing to a fit of laughter the guy slid to the floor as Travis stood and watched him while thinking about who would win the next toss of the coin...

Steves's voice jarred Travis back to the present,  
>Hey Travis...Yo dickbreath !<br>You talking to me ? Donkey Dick Travis answered.  
>No shit Man,I just want you to know...I enjoy checking out these caves you find,and fun is fun,BUT we ve been in this wet motherfuckin cave for five days...five days of artificial light,artificial food...and wet...wet all the damn time...every damn second of evry damn day for five damn days...<br>Travis interupted  
>You forgot one thing Steve...<br>What..?  
>You had ME for company the entire time...<br>YOU...You motherfucker...always happy ready for any goddamn thing...JEEZ..  
>If id a known about all the agravation i ve suffered over the years...why...WHY I would ve forgot all about saving your ass in that alley !<br>And deprive yourself of all the fun we ve had over the years.  
>FUN<p>

Stopped in his tracks,Steve stared at his at his friend for a moment then turned to continue leading the the time muttering curses and dire threats of a severe beating AFTER they left the cave and AFTER they got back into the civilized world,and most importantly AFTER he had a beer...then maybe a deserved ass-whippin would happen.  
>A few hours later,they had sloshed their way back to the main entrance chamber. Steve paused for a moment and looked up at the small circle of light which defined the exit to the cave...and started in again...<br>Damn, I can feel it all now...soaking in a hot tub of water,sucking down one of MANY ice fucking cold beers. Then I m gonna pretty myself up and go out and find me a WOMAN ! Then i ll sweep her off her feet with my tales of danger and derring-do while down in this deep dark pit of hell...Shit..I m ready !  
>Yeah right Steve...are you really going to tell them that your feats of derring-do was mostly getting your ass soaked and trying to avoid jock rot ?<br>DAMN Trav...you think any woman with half a brain in her head will jump my bones if I told the TRUTH?...HELL no,and you know it...just remember... if any chick asks if your grateful to me for saving your life...just go with ..ok?  
>Your kidding me...right?<br>Shit no man,I m serious as a heart attack!  
>Seriously Steve any woman that sees you aproaching with a tent over your crotch and that wild gleam in your eye,and drool running down your chin...she will NOT hang around to hear your lies ...but she will run..not walk..run for the hills!<br>WELLL you just hang around and observe,my friend,and I will teach you the fine art of meeting women...and if your real damn lucky,i might just give you one of my rejects.  
>That s ok Steve,ont do me any favors...i think i ll just relax and count how many times you get your face slapped during the night...<br>By then Steve was squirming thru the exit hole and all Travis could hear was a muttered Fuck off Doc !  
>Once Steve was standing outside the cave entrance,Travis passed all their gear out to him and then sruggled and squirmed thru the tight hole to stand next to his friend. Strecthing to get the kinks out of his back,Travis relized it was nearly dark.<br>Well ,at least we got enough light to get all the gear loaded into the bronco.  
>Yeah Steve answered and I can hear the beers and the babes calling my name already...<br>Yeah right steve...  
>Grabbing their gear they quickly descended the slight hill above their camp and started throwing all of the gear into the rear of the bronco,scraped what muck they could off themselves and climbed into the bronco. Travis fired up the engine and let it idle for a minute to warm up.<p>

Hey Trav..how far is it to that little burg we passed thru on the way out here? I need a piss stop and a brew REALLY bad..  
>Glancing down at the fuel gauge Travis answered...Well, your in luck... that ?burg? is only about twenty minutes away...and the Bronc does need gas...and since you insist,I?ll even let you pay for everything...!<br>FUUUUUUCK you ,Travis...It?s your damn truck...you pay for it !  
>Tell you what, Steve,We?ll flip ...double or nothing...and you can even call it!<br>AARRGGGHH! I knew it ! I just knew you would say that,...BUT just to save myself some aggravation...I?ll pay for your Damn gas! JUST be sure and stop at the first place you find...asshole !  
>What a guy... Travis laughed and said Thank god for empty gas tanks and desparate dudes needing beer...look out world the gruesome twosome are headed home !<br>Travis slipped the Bronco into gear and headed down the dirt road towardws the highway as Steve let loose with a rebel yell and a yippee ki yi mother fuckers drifted in the wind as they vanished into the darkening evening...

The Morgue

the Morgue

Hunger...we have all experienced it in one form or some it is that stomache twinge and growl,for others it is the pain of starvation,sometimes followed by death.  
>The microbes carried by the comet and its debre was a parasite...always hungry,never satisfied,never appeased. was about to make its apearance on planet earth.<p>

Tom had just finished digging out several forms he knew he would need for registring the incoming bodies,when he heard the driveway bell bong as the first ambulance backed to the loading grabbed several forms and stepped from the small office just as a man came thru the outer door,pausing to remove his rain slicker and shake water from it. Tom recognized the man as a friend of his and greeted him...  
>A little wet out there,huh?<br>Man you don t know the half of it,rain..wrecks..and all kinds of crap going on out there!  
>It s the moon...Tom joked<br>What?...th moon...  
>The moon is full Tom explained all kinds of crazy and weird things happen under a full moon...<br>Shit Tom..your probably right about that...anyway,where do you want us to start placing the stiffs?  
>Shit...I guess you can put them in prep room one...it s the first one on the right ..leave the paperwork for each one on the table beside it and i ll transfer the info onto the toe tags as I get to each one...<br>Whatever you say...wish we could stay and grab a cup of joe...but we have to dump this load and head right back out...calls are coming in faster than we can handle them...hell you ll probably see us again before the night is over..and maybe more...  
>O.K. guys...as much as I like ya ll...i hope I don t see ya again tonight! Tom said over his shoulder as headed back into the file room to grab more forms and tags.<p>

Shortly after the first ambulance left,more began to arrive and each ambulance barely had time to unload before another was waiting in seemed hours went by...but it only took two before the morgue was filled to capacity and Tom had to start diverting traffic to other locations.  
>Finally tom was alone again,he decided to stop long enough to fire up a doobie before getting started on the part he hated most of all.<br>Time to get ready for the shit work. He muttered as he took a deep hit off the joint,filling his lungs several times with the harsh smoke,he finally felt the first soothing rush he needed to prepare himself for the job at hand. After relaxing for a few more moments,he decided the best way to get the job done was to just go for it and finish as quick as he could. Pinching out the last inch of the joint he figured he better save a bit just in case his stomache started acting up.  
>Slipping the roach into his pocket,he stood up and grabbed his clipboard and a handfull of tags. Entering the first prep room,he wished he could turn up the heat a little,but then that would?nt help the smell at all...so the hell with it.<p>

Walking over to the first table,he avoided looking at the body on the table...he concentrated on picking up the papers beside the body and transfering the info onto the toe tags. A morbid curiosity got the better of him Looking down at the body his first thought was...well hell,if this is the worst of the lot,then I got it made...this one ain?t too bad..!

On the table before him laid a black man. The only thing visibly wrong that Tom could see,was the man s head The forehead,from just below the hairline and down to just above the eyebrows..was caved in...looked as if someone had hit him across the forehead with a 2 x 4 . The result of the blow made the eyes almost bulge out of their sockets. That and some blood from the nose and ears was all the damage he could see..

A hour passed,in that time Tom was able to tag all the bodies in the first prep room and was halfway thru prep room two. He decided to take a break and finish the rest of the joint he had saved. Pulling up a chair,he sat down and tried to get comfortable... after a few good hits on the ?doob?it was too short to hold.  
>Fuck it! He groused as he pinched out the last ember and stood up.<br>I?m gonna finish the rest in this room and call it a nite...Hell the guys on the fuckin dayshift can finish the rest...methinks I?ve seen enough gore for any one night !  
>Standing he walked over to the next table,and looked at the body before him... imediatly his stomache began to flip flop and he had to fight down the urge to gag or even throw up.<br>MOTHERFUCKER ! This has got to be the worst one yet! Looking at the mutilated body on the table before him,he had a hard time deciding on how or where to start describing the extent of damage done to the body... His first thought was that somebody had stuffed a man?s clothing with a lot of raw hamburger..  
>DAMN ! Guy,...you look like you tried to hitch a ride on the bottom side of someone?s car ! Tom joked to relieve some of the tension on his already tight nerves as he reluctantly scanned the body to note all visible signs of trauma<p>

On the table behind tom lay the corpse he had just finished,the left hand resting on its stomache fell to its side,knocking the papers laying there to the floor.  
>Tom nearly jumping out of his skin,spun around,and started cussing when he saw the papers scattered about the floor.<br>SHIT,SONOFABITCHINMOTHERFUCKER ! it?s bad enough that I have to look at you ugly mothers...BUT i?ll be damned if i?m going to clean up after you also !

Bending down to pick up the scattered papers,he hit his shoulder against the metal table

An hour passed then two,in that time Tom was able to tag all the bodies in the first prep room

Standing he walked over to the next table,and looked at the body before him

the tag on the hamburger for the tag,he decided that this was his last one for the glanced down at the corpse,then focused on the tag...and frowned...unable to grasp what bothered him...then it hit him...when he turned to gather the fallen papers...the hamburger dude s head had been facing AWAY from him...now the face was turned toward him,confused he leaned closer towards the corpse...and the eyes of the corpse opened and focused on him... shocked unable to believe what he was seeing,HELL, unable to even draw a breathe to scream, he stumbled back a few steps...and bumped into the knees of the corpse behind him that had just sat up and swung its legs over the side of the table...jumping back from that sight Tom turned and saw that the hamburger dude was actually sitting up and was still staring at him ! Instinct finally kicked in and he spun to get the hell out of the room... and stopped in his tracks...to see aproaching him from all sides were the dead ! The dead were rising from the tables and stumbling towards him.  
>Tom looked franticly for a path to run,but all avenues of escape were cut off by the aproaching creatures. All Tom could do was stand and watch these things make their way to him...<p>

His very last thought,before his mind was completly gone...as the hamburger dude grabbed his hand and began chewing on the fingers...as one crawling nightmare pulled itself up to Tom s leg and proceeded to bite and rip a huge chunk of flesh from his thigh...as he felt a finger puncture one eye...as other fingers were thrust into his mouth grappling for his tongue...his very last thought was a resigned ...What a really fucked nite !  
>His body literally exploded as several pairs of hands dug into his flesh and ripped his body apart in huge obscene chunks of blood and flesh...and for a single nanosecond before death mercifully claimed him,thru his remaining eye,Tom saw pieces of his own body being consumed by his former Tenants ...<br>...then all that was heard was the chewing and slurping sounds of feeding...

The Cematary

the Cemetary

Sharon sighed as she tried to get more comfortable in the front seat of the van. Being a news person on t.v. did have its perks,and people did tend to think it was all fun and glamour...But for the moment she was experiencing the non-glamorous side involved in remote sets.  
>The waiting game...Watching the meteor shower light the nite sky,a pale red ash began to fall from the sky,covering everyone and evrything. When rubbed the ash would smear,as if sort of a oily base,rather than brush off...and then it began to RAIN...THEN a few people began to complain of a burning<br>sensation on their skin...which quickly became a painful rash on the skin.  
>Gary called a wrap and the technicians scrambled to pack the gear as the others ran for cover<p>

Watching Gary slog thru the mud towards the van,she noticed the rain had stopped,for the moment at least. Gary opened the driver side door and began to scrape the mud off his boots. He broke her train of thought when he spoke, I told the guys that we would meet them at the cematary,you and I will go ahead so we can choose the best location for the shot...and you can repair the damage to your hair and warpaint !  
>Right Gary, she snapped back while i?m at it i?ll get pregnant,have a baby,and fix coffee for evryone at the same time...<br>She and Gary could always joke with each other to help relieve tension during the worst of times.  
>Sharon was one of the few lucky women that could look good thru hell or high never took her more than a few minutes to become presentable before the she would end up waiting on the techs to get their gear setup and ready...friendly barbs would fly back and forth.<br>Sighing to herself,she was glad that she did have such a good career in broadcasting, she damn sure did?nt have a man to spend time with. Lately she had started calling herself a ?celibate old broad?. Her last few relationships had all been disasters. She could not understand why her choice of men was so lousy. Glancing at Gary she thought that his wife was one lucky girl...Gary was casual good looking with a great personality. Sure they had had a few problems,what marriage did?nt... but they had worked them out so far...  
>Gary?s voice broke into her thoughts... cont...<p>

" Yeah,I think the best thing to do is try and gain some intrest on the issue right off the bat

No prob dude she replied as soon as we decide on a location,and you finish getting the guys started..i?ll go over it with you so we can decide on cue spots...  
>You got it Babe<br>It did?nt take long to find a spot they both agreed on. The techs arrived and started unloading gear,Gary told the assitant what he wanted and she and he planned the shoot with a minimum of fuss and a few quick changes of camera angles..a short confab with Sharon..a few walk thrus and they were ready to shoot.  
>At Gary?s cue the camera started rolling...at first it was directed at a view of a solitary tomstone...after a few seconds,Sharon?s voice could be heard off camera...<br>A cematary...Quiet and serene in it?s beauty...the Final resting spot for our loved ones...  
>As the camera panned across the terrain, Sharon came into view standing beside a fresh grave..the canvas awning still standing to protect any mourners from the weather,and a scattering of floral bouquets already starting to continued<p>

" Yes ladies and gentlemen,a cematary...a sad but familiar site for many of us" The question we want to present to you tonight is something we should all be aware question is...are your dead loved ones,treated with the respect and dignity they deserve?...in a moment we will continue with a story that may well shock you or sicken you...even make you angry...but it is nececary to make you all aware of what may be happening at several mortuarys around the country...the Leaderman story...respect or ripoff...next !  
>Sharon continued to smile at the camera until the red light faded,indicating that Sharon was now off camera.<br>Great Sharon Gary said give us a few minutes to reposition a few lights and we?ll cut in with a fade up on you..  
>Ok...also, Gary...be sure and pull in close when I crouch and get a handfull of dirt...<br>Yea...he replied and as you finish we?ll fade out with a close up of your hand sifting the dirt thru your fingers...ready?...your on in five...four...three...two...one  
>At Gary?s cue,Sharon looked into the camera and continued her story...<br>Tonight I have a very unpleasant story to tell you. It is a sad time when we lose a loved one. Out of respect and love we do what is necassary and bury our dead,you buy a plot,you buy a coffin,arrange for a service,you contact a mortician...now the mortician prepares the body of the deceased for burial...he cleans the body..repairs any visible damage to the body...dresses the body in it?s finest clothing,then places the body in the coffin for viewing by the greiving relatives and friends...for all these services you pay a considerable fee.a fee verging into the thousands the average funeral costs about $6000.00 and it goes up from there.  
>A few weeks ago,thru a private source,this reporter was informed of a practice of a most vile nature. At this very moment police are waitinfg for court orders...orders that will allow them to exhume several bodies recently interred at the Leaderman Mortuary and Cemetary. We have reason to believe that employees under the direction of Mr. Leaderman himself are not preparing the bodies correctly..in other words...they are not using embalming fluid...a chemical used to preserve the body..also prevent the spread of bacteria that is harmful to us ...the living!<br>Even more of a atrocity...once final viewing is over...before leaving the chapel the body is passed thru a very secluded and guarded room...before closing the casket for the final time...several employees quickly remove any valuables.. Rings,necklaces,momentoes...and yes even inspecting the teeth quickly removing any gold filled teeth...!  
>" The police have requested us to ask the public that if you have recently buried a loved one at a Leaderman cemetary...Please contact your local police and give them the information,and permission to make sure you have not been robbed by a Man of no Morals or deceny...<p>

The camera followed Sharon as she turned and crouched down beside the fresh grave as she continued...We urge you to contact the authorities and provide them with any information that will help them to stop this revolting practice!.. If you are in the process of intering a loved one please be sure and check the references of who you use.!  
>As she was saying her last few lines, Sharon dug her hand into the fresh loam covering the grave. As he raised her hand and began sifting the dirt thru her fingers ...it happened ...A hand thrustout of the dirt and grabbed sharon's wrist !<br>The startled camraman,more by instinct than skill kept the camera rolling and in focus,allowing a clear picture of the nightmare that was just beginning..

Sharon,thinking she had entangled her hand in a wreath looks down and sees the hand from the grave grasping her wrist and screams...  
>The dirt covering the grave begins to tremble,dirt rolls back and slowly,steadily, a head begins to emerge from under the dirt...more struggle and the head was free to the neck...Sharon,open mouthed frozen in shock watched as the head turned and looked at her...<p>

Gary, at first to stunned to react,stands with his mouth hanging open watching the impossible happen...Sharon,still screaming begans jerking her arm back and forth...trying to free herself...but the body...or thing..was actually using her arm as leverage to pull itself from the grave

The cameraman decides the hell with artistic value...fuck the news... drops the camera and runs screaming for the van...  
>Gary snaps out of his frozen shock,runs to Sharon,grabs her arm and begins kicking the body about the head and shoulders...the combined weight of Sharon and Gary is enough to pull her free and they both stumble and fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs.<p>

One of the sound techs pissed his pants and ran screaming into the depths of the cemetary...the other tech fell to his knees and began crying...to frozen by shock and fear to do anything else.

Sharon and Gary laid in a tangled heap on the ground and watched in horror as the thing pulled itself free from the dirt of the grave and attempted to stand (later when she had time to think about those first few minutes,she would rember that it seemed she was watching evry thing happen in stop frame action ) The both of them stared in wide eyed horror at the creature before them. The creature stood,weaving slightly as if just learning to balance it?s self.  
>Sharon and Gary both scrabbled backwards a few feet ...the corpse becoming aware of their presence and turns toward them...the camera lights give them a clear view,for the first time,the face of a living dead...a face that had no expression,just a gleam of something unholy,deep in the eyes of the dead-un...and something else.. A look of raw deep corpse tried to take a step towards them and stumbled,falling to its knees...Sharon and Gary looked at each other with mutual expressions of disbelieve and horror...as one they scrambled to their feet and ran for the van...Gary screaming at the tech on his knees to follow them.<p>

Sharon reached the van,yanked open the passenger side door and threw herself in,banging her knee on the door frame and struggled to slam the door closed. Gary threw himself into the drivers seat and frantialy searched for the keys to start the van. Sharon turned to lock her door and glancedback at the gravesite just in time to see the corpse from the grave rip out the throat of the technician that had frozen in fear... she screamed at Gary to hurry and start the van as he flooded it on the first try. The motor started at the second attempt...and they were frozen in their seats at the sound of a spine tingling scream that increased in pitch and volume and suddenly quit,cut off abruptly.  
>"DAMN,DAMN,DAMN...that must have been Ed !" Gary babbled as he stared at Sharon.<br>Gary! She screamed back..shut the fuck up and get us the hell away from here before we?re next on the menu !

Seconds before Gary slammed the van into gear . Sharon felt/heard a thump at the door behind around she looked directly into the face of another corpse... one that had been dead for more than just a short fainted with the image of what she saw,forever burned into her mind. Looking into her window was a near rotted skull,pieces of flesh and strands of hair clinging to the dull yellow skull,one eye looking at her with a desparate hunger...the other eye socket filled with wigling worms... 

The Gas Station

the Gas Station

Following the winding dirt road that would connect them to the highway,Travis relized it was getting dark and leaned over to turn on all the lights,including the big bar lamps mounted on the roof of the bronco. Steve settled into his seat andmuttered he was going to cacth a nap and to wake him when it was his turn to drive.

Twenty minutes later they reached the highway and headed home. Another half hour And Travis was getting bored and getting major white line fever . He looked over at his dozing friend,decided the hell with it and spoke...Steve!...You awake?  
>A muttered curse...<br>C?mon Man...you awake?  
>No man...I always carry on a conversation in my sleep !<br>Then you?ll be happy to know,that it appears we?re gonna make good time hardly any traffic at all.  
>Steve never even opened his eyes as they talked.<br>My guess is that the meteor shower that went off earlier tonight,after a light show like that...any thing else would be a hard act to follow...so every one went home...  
>Yeah,your probably right...AND...if you would?nt have kept falling in the stream and killing time...we might have seen one hell of a light show also...<br>Fuck you...besides once you seen a falling rock,then you?ve seen all ya need to see!  
>Travis started to return with a comment about Steve?s relationship with pond scum,instead,he said in a subdued voice...Hmmmmm,i do believe I see a sign up ahead that mentions something ?bout beer...<br>Steve sat up and shouted Stop...Stop...or i?ll do something really mean and despicable...BY GOD...a beer...THANK YOU Lord!  
>Travis grinned at his friends sudden enthusiasam and jerked his strings a little<br>Steve,if I was a real asshole,I would wish they did?nt carry beer...just to see the expression on your face...oh  
>Should we flip to see who pays for the gas?<br>SCREW you Steve shot back and just in case nobody has told you lately.. YOUR a asshole!  
>Travis laughed and shot back Steve,like I?ve always said...Blame it on me,.. Everyone else does...<br>Steve gave Travis a dirty look and started to shoot back a responce ...but was interupted as Travis slowed the bronco down to turn into the station. Travis saw the sudden look of anticipation on his friends face and said OK you win ... but it seems like I paid last time...so it?s your turn anyway.!  
>Well SHIT...Steve groused as Travis pulled the bronco to a stop beside a pair of pumps...I don?t give a damn..I?ll gladly pay..if it?ll get me to the beer any faster ! ...ASSHOLE !<p>

Travis killed the engine and they sat a moment ,listening to the ticking of the motor as it began to cool and they both looked around the deserted front area. Steve grumbled Shit..don t tell me the damn place is closed...crap...it would be just my fucking luck for it to be closed !

And whose gonna put me up there,huh?  
>Just me,asshole!<br>Yeah right! You and what fuckin army BUTTHEAD! Steve shot back over his shoulder as he headed for the door to the gas station office.

Cont

Standing by the Bronco,smelling the fumes of the pumping gas,Travis felt a chill run up his spine..."Somebody just walked over my grave.." he muttered to the reflection of himself in the rear glass of the finished pumping the gas,rehung the nozzle on the pump and checked the fluids under the hood...He was crouched at the rear of the Bronco,checking the tire pressure..leaning against the fender...his mind was a million miles away...Suddenly he was pulled off balance by a hand jerking on his he jumped upright,hitting his shoulder against the fender of the Bronco,spun around to face a pale,sweating and obviously scared Steve...  
>"SHIT,Steveyou trying to give me a fuckin heart attack...?"<br>"Sorry man...fuck...you gotta check this out...shit..."  
>"What the fuck are you blathering about you dip shit...you pissed cus they got no bee..."<br>"GODDAMIT TRAVIS...Shut the fuck up!" Steve screamed  
>Travis relized that something really had shook his friend and he tried to calm him down..<br>"It's ok man...i'm sorry...so whats got you so spooked?"  
>"Man..I went into the store and got the beer and some ice but no one was inside to take the money...I checked the office and it was empty...but both registers had cash in them..."<br>"Yeah..so.."  
>"Let me finish Damit"<br>"ok,ok im sorry.."  
>"So i thought,well,maybe the guy had the shits and needed the bathroom real sudden...so i go around the side to the bathroom and its empty...i see a small trailer in back and figured maybe maybe the station guy was in the trailer...i walk over to the trailer and as i get closer i see BLOOD around the the entrance and on the door!'<p>

BLOOD ! Come on Steve your seeing things...must be a flashback from lack of beer...he joked  
>FUCK you Travis...I know fuckin blood when I see it...and i m telling you..I SAW FUCKING BLOOD back there...and LOT S of it!<p>

Allright Steve I believe you...so lets go check it the guy running this place hurt himself and he may need some help  
>Steve looked at Travis,looked back towards the trailer,muttered something about A fuckin whole lot of fuckin blood visibly shook himself and led Travis around the station towardsthe small trailer at the back of the lot. As Travis neared the trailer he saw that it was just a small travel trailer setting up on type you would see some people pulling around the country for short trips,too small to live in but great for figured the owner used it as aplace to catch a quick nap or a private spot to have a few beers...As they got closer Travis could see a dark liquid pooled around the steps of the trailer,and dark rusty smears around the by the steps Travis crouched down and put his finger tip into the puddle,hearing a oh yuck<br>From Steve. Travis rubbed the liquid between finger and thumb and sniffed it  
>Your right Steve,this IS blood..and its quite a bit for a small cut...I hope that whoever got hurt was able to reach help.<br>I TOLD you it was blood !  
>Did you check inside?<br>SHIT no, Isaw all this and came and got you!  
>Travis wiped his finger in the dirt,stood and leaned over to rap on the door and waited a moment.<br>Maybe they ve already gone to see a doctor  
>ok so...try the door guy<br>Travis looked around,saw a peice of paper on the ground and used it to grasp the door handle and twist it,heard the latch disengage and pulled the door open to look first gloance it looked like a normal messy interior poor housekeepers he thought,then he relized what he was really seeing...disbeleiving he leaned in closer to get a better look...and he turned and stumbled a few feet away,fell to his knees ...and vomited  
>Damn Trav you ok?<br>Still on his knees and gagging,Travis pointed back at the trailer,and was turning to warn his friend only to see him already opening the door and looking inside...Steves's body jerked in reaction to what he saw,he steppedback,slammed shut the trailer door,and fell to his knees gagging and spitting also.  
>Travis spit a few more times trying in vain to rid his mouth of the taste of bile,and asked his friend if he was ok...<p>

Are we crazy, travis ?...That can?t be what we?re seeing in there...  
>Steve,we?ve got to see if anyone is alive...maybe hurt,in there !<br>Travis,i don?t really cotton to the idea of goingin there...think we can call someone?...  
>Steve,there MAY be someone hurt...we have to check...Steve looked up into the dark sky,muttered FUCK...he looked around,muttered another FUCK ,pulled himself to his feet and walked over to Travis and offered his hand to help his friend stand. Still clasping Steve?s hand,he put his other hand on his shoulder and looked his friend in the eye.<br>Steve...we gotta check...you with me?  
>Steve shook his head,muttered another fuck and Travis knew his friend was with him all the way.<br>Moving a few feet away steve searched the ground and picked up a short stick and used it to gently push the trailer door open cont...

"Goddamn right!" was all Travis said and they turned and hauled ass for the Bronco. Their fear grabbed them by the ass and it became a all out scramble for the relative safety of the by side they ran across the yard and along the side of the station. Unerved by what they had seen the devil himself could have apeared before them and they would have flattened him like a tank rolling over a bush. Pounding across the front of the station towards the Bronco,Travis in the lead,did not run around the Bronco to his he yanked open the door on Steve s side and scrambled in and acroos to the drivers seat as Steve threw himself in behind him, a few more moments of panic as they sruggled to untangle...and Travis twisted the ignition key,started the Bronco,slapped it into gear,stalled...relizing he was screaming SHIT,SHIT,SHIT! Over and over...he could hear Steve cussing and shouting GOGOGO!...twisted the key again..the engine roared,Travis dumped the clutch again...and the powerfull Bronco burned rubber across the station blacktop Travis powered the Bronco into a side ways slide out of the station and barreled down the road. About the time Travis hit third gear and sixty,he hears a agonized groan from his friend and looks into his stricken face...  
>Steve slaps his hand to his forehead and exclaimed...<br>Shit,...MAN,I forgot the fuckin beer!  
>Both men fell out laughing and giggling...which abruptly stopped as they both relized that laughter was inapropriate after what they had just seen. <p>

The Hospital

the Hospital  
>travis and steve find a hospital<br>They were a good five miles down the road before Travis relized he was doing about 95 miles an hour...without lights! He leaned over to turn on the lights and glanced over at his friend who had been silent since their burst of laughter

Steve was staring out the window into the darkness and talking to himself Mano? man he muttered What a fuckin sight...was it suicide?..NO FUCK NO,... had to be murder!..yeah that?s it... Had to be one sick motherfucker,to kill like that! God,what a mess...I still want to puke jus thinkin ?bout it...Shit...I wonder if the sick motherfucker is STILL around...HOO-Boy...been one hell of a day...Damn we should call someone...Fuckin-a time for the law...he looked at Travis..Hey man,look for a phone!

Travis had begun to have the same thought,when it sank in that Steve?s last comment had been directed at glanced at the pale face of his friend and agreed...DAMN RIGHT... sign back there said a town is just a few miles ahead .. We?ll turn this over to the proper athorities...and then I think it?s time we BOTH find a damn beer...cus I know I need one NOW like never before!

Steve relaxed a little and shot back,FUCKIN-AAAY ! and let?s hope we don?t have to go back to that place for any reason,one sight of that horror back there is all I need for both our lifetimes !  
>They were both beginning to calm down a little and they relized they were passing more and more homes and businesses as they got closer to the watched for a phone but the few they saw seemed to be too secluded and Travis was spooked by what they had seen at the station and the continued stillness of the night Steve put his feelings of unease into words...Hey dude,I hate to add shit onto shinola,but where the fuck is everyone? I have?nt seen anyone or any moving cars since we left the station !<br>Good question Steve,all I know is I just saw something out of a horror movie and it scared the shit outta me..I just want to turn this over to the man...get home...have a very stiff drink and try real hard to forget that tonight ever happened...!  
>AMEN to that bro...<br>Keep an eye out for any police or fire station ...we?ll stop at the first one we can find...

As they drove further into the town it became evident that all was not right in the world that one was out no one was moving...no cars..no pedestrians ..not even any cats..or dogs could be seen moving ?s guts were begining to knot up from the tension. He and Steve had been down in the cave for six days without contact with the the few days they had been gone..something strange had hapened...what ..who knew..but Travis was worried that they would find out soon enough.  
>THERE,Trav,up ahead!<br>HUH what...?  
>That sign we just blew by,mentioned something about a hospital just ahead...<br>Great...A hospital is perfect...we can stop there and leave it in the capable hands of some mucky muck

Travis saw the sign with a arrow pointing towards the entrance of the hospital,and slowed the bronco to make the turn in...following the long curved drive,they both felt better at the sight of the well lighted entrance to the emergency room. The hospital was glaring white from all the lights and stood out in the darkness surounding it.  
>Travis pulled the bronco into a parking space near the emergency entrance and heard Steve mutter Fuckin strange...<br>What?s strange ? Travis asked as he killed the engine  
>Well,look around...there?s hardly any cars,and NO one moving about... and that ambulance over there...the lights are on..the doors are open...but where the FUCK is everyone? ...and listen...not a sound...<br>They sat for a moment and listened and heard...nothing  
>FUUUCK...you got me spooked now Steve. Travis almost wispered...before we go any further...let me get something from ?the hole?<br>Yea,no shit,if you brought anything extra...I?ll take it ! Said Steve

The hole is what Travis called his security box,when he first purchased the Bronco,he made a few discreet additions to protect valuables while?outbound?He reworked the drivers seat so it would tilt forward by trigering a hidden latch,Below the seat he had cut a small hole and welded a low profile security box under the to find and even harder to open...in it Travis kept a small stash of money,a i.d.,a few credit cards...and a .38 revolver. Travis opened the box reached in and removed the shoulder rig holding the pistol and a old hunting knife

Steve...catch... Travis tossed the hunting knife to steve.  
>Thanks said steve as he smoothly caught the knife and unsheathed it in one smooth motion. Travis watched as Steve ran his thumb along the blade edge...and promptly cut himself. Travis chuckled at Steve s surprise at how sharp the knife was. Almost laughing ,while listening to his friend cuss the sharp knife...Travis looked down at the pistol he held,pulled the special loaded .38 from the holster snapped open the cylinder..checked to ensure all chambers were loaded...snaped the cylinder closed ...slipped the gun back into the holster...then shrugged the rig onto his shoulders,shrugging them to settle the rig in place. Glancing at his friend sucking on his finger, Travis had to ask...Do you really think I would carry a dull knife ?<p>

SHIT I don?t care...dull or sharp...I just want something ,a weapon of any kind will work...  
>Yeah Travis replied as he reached into the back seat to grab a light jacket to put on to conceal the gun. Better the knife than nothing at all.<br>Damn right agreed Steve as he slid the knife into his jeans behind his back... and he turned and stepped towards the hospital entrance...  
>Hey Steve...<br>"Yeah" he said stopping to look back  
>Steve this whole deal is getting stranger by the minute...and...well...just in case something really is going on...well...anything can happen...so...you know where the extra keys are stashed...use them if you have too...<br>Steve gave him a whatareyoutalkinabout look ..gave a thumbs up and turned towards the doors.  
>Travis closed the door to the bronco and followed his friend. Again he noticed that the only sound he could hear was that of the cooling engine in the Bronco ... no other sounds,no sirens,no people...no noise at all.<br>Steve stepped on the rubber mat before the doors and they snicked open with a sound similar to a favorite sci-fi sound. He looked into the deserted lobby,then back at Travis...  
>Beam me up Scotty,there ain t no life round these here parts !<br>Travis grinned at his friend shrugged his shoulders and side by side they entered the hospital

TRAVIS AND STEVE IN HOSPITAL  
>SWAN<br>TRAVIS MEETS JOSH  
>SHARON AND GARY FIND HOSPITAL<p>

...They passed thru the double doors and stopped to get a look at the lay of the land.  
>"And the day just got stranger." whispered Travis as they both survayed the empty and silent room before them. Steve nervously scanned the area around them and muttered, "Uh,Scotty,maybe you could beam down a phaser or two...please."<br>Not a single person was in site...no rushing nurses or doctors...no patients waiting in line for their turn to see a doctor...no crying babies...nothing  
>So quiet that Travis thought he could hear the hairs on the back of his neck stand up,he could damn sure FEEL them standing.<br>A low murmered Travis...I don t like this one fuckin bit !  
>Amen to that...Travis replied.. Look over at the nurses desk...papers scattered...could have been a struggle...you think ?<br>A long FFFUUUUUCCCCKKK from Steve as Travis continued  
>Well...no one here...guess we should look around a little...<br>Another long fuuuuuuuuuuuck from Steve and Travis held up a finger to caution him then pointed across the lobby...edgy...on cat feet... they crossed the deserted lobby and aproached a set of double swinging doors...that apeared to be the only other entrance into the depths of the hospital...  
>they both settled into their familiar pattern of teamwork developed during their time in 'nam' ... and they split apart and leaned against the wall,one on each side of the door...pausing a moment,Travis reached under his jacket to ensure his pistol was easy to reach...glanced across at Steve,who used his fingers to signal what each would do returned a nod of agreement and together they stepped thru the doors each stepping to the side to place the walls behind them...and found a empty hall with corridoors going both left and right...and a elavator directly across from the swinging doors.<br>Ok great white scout...which way now?Steve cracked ,and his voice echoed thru the empty stepped aver to stand close to his friend and kept his voice low.  
>Well the sign on the wall indicates business offices thataway...pointing to the right<br>and patients thisaway..pointing to the left and the morgue is down stairs... Travis dug into a pocket and pulled out a quarter...  
>Heads is left...tails is right...call wich direction you want to check...and we ll both check the morgue together...<p>

Steve snatched the coin from the air and growled...  
>FUCK IT! Win or lose we gotta do it...SHIT i ll go this way and check the offices...allright?<br>Even at the worst of times Travis could nt resist a dig Steve,I?d think that by now you?d learn that you NEVER have and NEVER will win a toss.!  
>SHIT I kow!...but I figure that if I hang in there that some day I will win a toss when I really need it...<br>We can only hope so,huh?  
>Butthead!..So we meet back here in ten minutes or so...right?<br>Yeah,you check down that hall,i?ll check this one out...meet me back here in about ten minutes and we?ll both check the morgue...

Steve nodded in agreement and said you be carefull,holler if you find someone...  
>You got it! Travis said as he turned and moved silently towards the first doorway, Travis stepped close to the wall and stopped just short of the door.<br>He looked back down the hallway and could see his friend shaking his head as he tried each door only to find them all locked. Travis turned his atention back on the dark doorway,took a deep breath,stealed himself for what he might find and slipped into the the room empty he chided himself for expecting the worst

He left the room and crossed the hall to enter the next room down and found it empty also,but one of the bed was mussed,as if someone had just left that room and continued down the hall,passing other rooms and just glancing in to determine that all the rooms were empty,neither living or dead to be found.  
>A chill ran up his spine and he really began to get spooked even more.<br>he stopped and listened,relizing what was spooking him...the paging system was nt working  
>Travis passed the last door in the hall and approached a set of double doors at the end of the hall,Travis saw a sign indicating that the doors opened into a stairwell. Travis pushed on the grab bar but the door would not open.<p>

As Travis neared the closed doors,he stopped and listened,relizing what was spooking him...the paging system was nt working

steve  
>Steve watched his friend move away and down the other corrider FUCK A DUCK he muttered and looked at the directry on the wall...busness offices thataway and morgue one floor down...FUCK the morgue !Steve growled and he turned and walked down the hall tothe first door,gripping the door knob he turned it and felt the resistance of a locked door...Yup,and I bet every one is he muttered...still he walked the length of the corridoor and checked every door...Satisfied all the doors were locked,Steve turned and walked in the direction that Travis had he passed the wall directory,he glanced at the arrow pointing down towards the morgue Morgue...eeewwwww! he thought,and shuddered Home of the dead and deader<p>

Travis at the far end of the hall called and asked if he had any luckRecieving a negative,Travis asked him to come give him a hand with a passed the elavator and was a few steps down the hall when he heard the elevator bong,signaling a arriving took a few more steps before he jolted to a stop, relizing that whoever was on the elevator could be elevator doors slid open behind him as he started to turn when he heard Travis shout..Steve behind... and stop...snapping his head around he saw his friend disapear thru the stairwell door and heard it close with a heavy thunk...A rustle and a dragging sound made him snap his head back towards the elevator...he sees a bunch of fucked-up dudes staggering towards him...All Steve saw was blood...lots of blood..and disfigured and mangled features...  
>Without a thought,instinct and adrenaline kicked in...Steve grabbed a nearby chair and tossed it at the nearing figures,tripping the first one,causing the others behind to stumble and fall also. Glancing at the tangle of bodies,Steve wasted no time,he ran thru the emergancy room and hit the exit doors at a full run...and damn near got run down by some maniac in a van that had bounced up on the sidewalk,and tires were screaming as the van screeched to a stop just inches from him... <p>

Swan and Paulie

Swan

Deputy Swan was pissed off and mad at the world..a mood not unusual for him,but most people would agree that Swan wsnt happy unless he was pissed off at something

for possible vandals at cematary  
>"DEVIL-CULT my ass !"<p>

mess" Swan started to turn on the lights and then paused cont.

intro Paul Jenx

For example...  
>Paulie...a small time drug dealer...<br>Paulie sat and watched the dude he had just made a sell to,go thru the motions of getting a hit ready,he sat and watched as the dude plunged the needle into a vein...and Paulie sat and watched the dude od ...and slip away into oblivion...and into death.  
>Paulie finished the cig he had bummed from the dude and leaned over to place two fingers at his neck...and felt no pulse.<p>

some would call it armeggedon,some would call it a plague...for most it was plain and simple...Death had come a knockin and for many...far to many...escape was imposible. as the day turned into night darkness fell across the land...and the dead rose to claim their world.A world where there was no give and take...no Marquess of quennsbury rules..and absolutly no room for mistakes... A world that had no room for the living...and the living dead !  
>The war began...a war between a constantly growing army of dead... and a steadly shrinking population of living humans.<p>

swan

"GODDAMMIT BASE,MAKE SENSE! " swan screamed into the mic. Swan had followed the news van from a distance,when it pulled into the hospital entrance drive. Swan parked out on the road to watch. He had just got comfortable in his seat when dispatch called ranting about all kinds of strange shit goin on around town.  
>Keying the mic ,Swan repeated<br>Now slow down and say that again...  
>Sorry J.T. All I can tell you for sure is I got a 911 on a major pile up on I-10. I followed procedures and dispatched medical and another patrol car<br>Who did you send? Swan cut in  
>uh ...lessee..Rawlins,then a few minutes later he calls in upon arrival<br>...a few minutes later all hell breaks loose...rawlins is on radio screamingf for backup and then he was cut off...and now I can t raise him or the ambulance over the radio.  
>SHIT! Swan muttered to up he used his thumb to wipe the sweat beading on his forehead and with other hand he keyed the mic.<br>OK ...call Butler in unit six,head him that away...advise to aproach with caution,observe and report...and keep trying to raise rawlins...I m gonna drive over and take a look myself !  
>Yes sir...base out.<br>Shaking his head,Swan slammed the mic down on the seat beside him,reached up and started the cruiser. He sat for a moment and listened to the deep throated rumble of the cruisers's engine  
>"GOD DAMN ! I love this fucking car...glad the city pussies gave me carte blanche on my own cruiser"<br>Slipping the cruiser into gear,he pulled onto the road and burned rubber as he pushed the gas pedal to the floor and headed south...into the city...into hell...

paulie  
>Paulie was one confused the building where his drug deal had gone sour,he headed to where he had stashed his car cont<p>

and stumbled over to fall to its knees beside the feeding creature and pick up the mans arm and started chewing on the upper portion of the  
>limb.<br>This is too fuckin much! Paulie muttered deciding the best thing to do was stay low and follow in the direction the the people had disapeared in...

swan  
>Swan was still pissed...no,not pissed...he was downright fucking mad... He had tried to contact base and still had?nt got thru after several It ! He decided and pressed harder on the gas peddle. Asshole probably had to take a dump and di?nt even get somebody to cover for him while he?s in the can...assholes..all of ?em<p>

He glanced out at a passing street sign and relized he was just around the corner from the accident,looked forward and screamed while standing on the brake peddle and brought the cruiser to a screeching tire melting stop...and sat speechless as a crowd of running people engulfed his car and flowed around ,unable to avoid the car because of the crush of people slammed into it,then franticly scrabbling across and over to continue fleeing down the street  
>What the fuck... he exclaimed as he turned in his seat to watch the disapearing crowd...then nearly rupture himself whan a frantic pounding onthe window beside his head,suprising him he jumped in his seat and fought the seatbelt and steering wheel to jerk around to look out the window into the face of a obvious distraught and frightened man...<p>

swan and paulie meet  
>'Just another fuckin bum' Swan thought as he observed the man. The man wildly looked around him and pounded on the window again. Swan powered down the window and growled "Lay off the window ASSHOLE...whats the problem?"<br>cont.

"Ok asshole i believe ya..I've seen some of what your talkin wierd is going on and i intend to find out what it got a choice...take your chances out there or stay with me until i get some answers...what'll it be ?"  
>Paulie looked out cont. <p>

Travis and Josh

travis and josh

Travis regained consisnos with a rush...booming out of a black pit to sudenly snapping awake to find himself sprawled on the hard concrete floor of a stairwell landing. Travis heard a rustle of movement,his blood turning cold,his first thought was it was one of those things creeping up to snapped his head around and was surprised to see a man sitting on the first step up watching him react.  
>"It's ok safe here...for now." the man said<p>

Deep in a cave doing some work,never got to see any of it "  
>"Anyway," Josh cut back in to let me finish...and Josh paused to reach into his shirt pocket and pull out a pack of smokes and a old beatup zippo.<br>Travis shook his head and commented Those will kill you one of these days  
>Josh had no reply as he shook one out,placed it between his lips,flipped the lid on the zippo and lite it,he then glanced at Travis,grinned and said,Sooner these than them outside indicating the outside world with a nod of his head..as he continued I was working up in the penthouse machine shop...i get a call from the nurse at the front desk...they said the phone was dead in the morgue...also said they sent a aid down to get some files..aid does?nt return ...<br>Why call you? Travis asked  
>well they was swamped,and i?ve been having problems with a air door down there...they figured it was stuck...so they called me because i?m the maintenance man here...soooo I took the service elavator cus I can key it to go to whatever floor I want...and it?s a good thing I got control of the elavator... or i?d be dead NOW!<br>Patience wearing thin,Travis demanded Please...get to the point ok ?  
>Sure,sure...see,these service elavatores have two doors...the outer door is solid and automaticly opens,but the inner door is a gate...which you gotta pull up by hand to get out...and let me tell you,son,when that elavator hit bottom and that outer door slid open...I thought i?d died and gone straight to hell..!<br>Why?  
>Dead-uns!<br>WHAT?  
>Dead-uns, UNDEAD,the living dead...you ever seen the movie ?Night of the Living Dead ?<br>Sure i?ve seen them all,so WHAT?  
>Son...the movie has done come to life...we?re smack dab in the middle of a movie come to real life...and the dead are the stars!<br>THAT?S FUCKING IMPOSSIBLE!  
>Son...you go back out in those halls and you?ll meet firsthand with the impossible!<p>

People Meet

sharon and gary meet steve

Gary had just got the weaving van under control,when Sharon jerked upright in her seat with a scream...cont.

Gary looked across at Sharon and started to explain his motive,Sharon looked out front window and screamed,"LOOK OUT !"  
>Gary snapped his head around and saw they were inches from hitting the curb,before he could react,the van bounced up on the curb and then he stomped on the brakes... at the same time from the corner of his eye he saw a figure shoot out of the doors leading from the hospital and stumble into the path of the pushed harder on the brakes and braced himself for the impact of metal against flesh<p>

...One quick thought flashed thru Steve s mind...Been one hell one HELL of a fucked up day...a cold wet bath in a cold wet cave...the fuckin blood splattered trailer..creepy walkin dead things chasin me...and I get taken out by a VAN...and a ugly friggin van at that...  
>Then he was to busy trying to avoid being run down by said stumbled and fell to his knees just inches short of being ground beneath the wheels of the lurching closed his eyes...expecting oblivion...a few seconds later he relized he was still alive and opened his eyes to see a chrome bumper just scant inches from his stared foolishly at it for a moment ,then he leaned back to look up into the face of a angel...I am dead..he thought and gone to heaven Cont...<p>

Steve heard a crash from inside the hospital and looked back at the guy in the van and said...I hate to sound ungratefull for you not running me down,but we better get the hell out of here...cuz your worst nightmare is about to crash thru those doors..  
>He heard the voice of the angel...OH-GOD,there?s more of those things...HURRY get in the van !.<br>The guy Steve could see nodded his head and said,said,She?s right Hurry to other side get in thru the side door

Steve ran around the van,grabbed the door handle of the side door,jerked the door open and threw himself had time for a quick look at the face of one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen and was thrown flat on his face as the driver forced the van into reverse ,bounced back of the curb,shoved the gear into drive and careened down the drive...and again came to a screeching halt near the hospital exit...a older man stepped from behind the hospital sign and stopped in front of the van...

steve,sharon,gary find josh  
>is he ok?...is he still in there?<br>"whoa son,slow down...i can only guess he's ok he left the same way i did and went down the road."  
>"where did he go...and how long ago did he leave?" Steve blurted out.<br>"Heck son,we could'nt be far behind him...I gave him directions to a national gaurd armory not to far from here and that's where he was headed when he left me."  
>"Thank god he's ok..." Steve said as he slumped back into his seat.<br>Gary looked around at the others and asked "Well no sense in wasting time here...which way do we need to go to find this friend of Steve's ?"  
>Josh settled himself into his seat and replied.."Shucks fella just take a right at the end of this drive and we'll reach the armory just a short way down the road.."<p>

And four survivors headed into the night in search of one more...

Dead Examples

Luck is a 50/50 game of got your good luck and you got your bad luck...  
>Steve,Sharon and Gary had the good fortune to meet and then be in the sturdy,heavy duty van.<br>But for many...Bad luck...really bad luck was the rule for the day...  
>For example...<br>The surgeon,having just lost his patient to a massive heart attack,watched ,horrified as the corpse opened it's eyes and reached out to grab the nurse ..pulling her close and bitting down on her nose only to rip it from her face gnashing on a mouthful of grisly nose the corpse turned to look at the surgeon..continued to look as it leaned over and bit into the screaming nurse?s upper lip...ripping the flesh from her skull

For example...  
>the mortician...shocked from a deep sleep by the screaming of his wife in bed beside him grogily relizing their bed was surounded by several people...no.. He recgonized who several were...shocked because he relized they were all dead..<p>

And hell was-a poppin all over the country...the unthikable was happening...the tide of dead swept across the country...consuming all they encountered...  
>...funny thing about mankind is that us humans will take a lot of shit...but...dammit..push us hard enough and by-god we push back...<p>

The living had no chance...the walking dead were relentless..and desparate for the nourishment of fresh,living brain tissue...there was no rest for the weary..to stay in one place too long was a sure thing to attract nearby ranks of the dead increased by the minute...some started a good defense but bucked to the unrelenting presence of dead...seeking them

war raged across the country between the living and the and densley populated areas became chaos... a scared and confused populace hunted by the relentless dead...and the ranks of the dead continued to grow

Some people lost all hope and gave up completly either by suicide or doing nothing until discovered by the dead and attacked and people fought for their lives,were slightly wounded and survive...but anyone scratched or bitten by a dead-un soon developed a fever and then collapse into a coma ...sliding into death  
>and join the growing ranks of the dead-uns.<p>

Scattered across the country were thousands who refused to surrender .. and fought to was too precious and to short to allow it to be destroyed by a bunch of mean,ugly dead fuckers  
>And these terrified but stubborn souls took the fight head on back at the deaduns<br>And by-god if they lost the fight...they would at least take out as many of those nasty-assed dead fuckers as they could...

...For instance... the army corpral who broke into the camp armery and equipped himself with a flamethrower and several grenades. He fought a hell of a battle...until he was finaly cornered by a dozen or so dead-uns... once he relized he was in a cul-de-sac with no chance of getting past all of the dead-uns closing in,he excepted the fact that he had maybe a few minutes before the flamethrower tanks became empty...he decided to make it all count...Backing into a corner he swept the area around him with the flamethrower...driving the dead-uns back for a moment...he used the time to rig his grenades...running a shoestring thru several pull rings so one jerk ignite all of them...stopping to sweep a burst of flame again and watching the force of flame began to weaken as the tanks emptied...he muttered a quick prayer and pulled the tanks of the flame thrower close to him..  
>As the creatures fell upon him he screamed..EAT THIS MOTHERFUCKERS!<br>he pulled the pins from the grenades...and vanished in the explosion of grenades and flame thrower...as did the creatures around him...engulffed in a super hot blast that even killed the already dead.

the drunk redneck in Alabama did ok for awhile...loaded his 4whl truck with all the weapons he had...and beer...a whole LOT of beer...a buddy...also as drunk as a fucked up skunk...a full tank of gas...and the wide open road before them...at first they were careful..slowing the truck to fire several shots into the deadun till it stayed down...relizing they were gettin low on ammo...and beer...they began using the truck to simply crush the deaduns...got overconfident of number of bodies the truck could handle...in the center of a crowd of deaduns...the truck...ran out of gas and the driver numbly ground the starter and prayed for it to start abd watched as the deaduns closed in and pulled his buddy from the truck and ripped his body apart before his eyes...closed his eyes and prayed harder..feeling the truck shift as the deaduns turned and climbed onto and into the cab reaching for him...

The ambluance drivers...racing for the hospital...attached en route

people fought long and hard,and for a time survived ..but more and more died and then they joined the ranks of the dead. Within days...cities were deserted except for the ravenous dead the the few people that either refused to run...or those unable to leave yet..and those pitifull few that just barricaded themselves in their homes and waited for help (they hoped) ...help that never

People fled th cities and discover that the dead is out there alsoAnd the dead have a uncanny knack of sensing out the locations of the humans. Slow moving and clumsy...the dead were relentless in their search for the living and could overwelm groups of survivors by numbers alone..

...but that puny little creature called man fought on...and on...and on

Even the parasite microbes had parasites had its own effect as it was spread across the earth by the microbes...something good on the tail of something bad...  
>...the next generation of puppies born after the comets passing inhereited a ability to tell the difference between live and dead... <p>

The Armory

travis finds armory

Travis stopped to catch his breath at the edge of the was as scittish as a black cat at halloween as he made his way thru the woods and was wore out from trying to watch all directions at once slanted his eyes to the right and almost jumped out of his skin...less than forty feet away, a deadun shuffled out from behind some trees...and stood there motionless  
>almost looks like he's sniffing the wind for scent<br>cont.

He had just made a complete circuit of the fenced area of the armory compound and was close close to approaching the front gate when the sound of a aproaching vehicle stopped that...out of sight he watched a van,looked like a news van pull to a stop at the front gate to the armory. A few moments later three men climbed from the van and gathered at the gate,looking at the padlock securing the gates.  
>Travis recognized two of the men and silently aproached to within about 15 feet cont.<p>

He called in a voice loud enough for them to hear and then grinned as he watched all three men jump in surprise and spin in his direction.  
>"Travis!' one of the men shouted and then visibly winced then continued in a lower voice " No shit...it is you..you made it..."<br>"None other my friend.." Travis said as he crawled from under the truck "And i gotta say...it's good to see you in one peice,Steve...and you also Josh.."

The Missile Silo

the Missile Silo

Gunny and Striker

BUMFUCK IDAHO! Staff sargent Gunny Tillman muttered, i m sittin square in the middle of BUMFUCK freakin fuckin frakkin Idaho

for bravery under fire...had the respect ao any who knew him... and he was knockkneed weak from fear...Gunny was not a man to fear death his greatest fear of all was facing the order to execute the command cycle and make the birds was tormented by the idea that his bird would be the first to fly and be the first of many birds that would begin the start of the end of the world.  
>Not ME! Gunny muttered,glancing over his shoulder to see if the luet had heard him. He could see the young luetenant was absorbed in watching the array of blinking lights on his own console,so Gunny settled into his chair and continue watching the clock and imagine the ills that would befall the late replacements<br>Just ten minutes alone with em is all Gunny wished for...  
>Luetenant James Striker had heard the sargents mumble,inexperienced at his own command,the young officer sat and stared at the blur of colored lites before him and wondered...<br>Is muy second in command losing it  
>and wondered<br>why are the replacements late ?  
>And wondered<br>why not getting replies to their radio queries  
>and wondered<br>what do I do now  
>and wondered<br>and wondered  
>and wondered<p>

The two men sat and thought their thoughts  
>one about his fear of fate<br>one about his fear of failure

...  
>And in the world above them the ...the nightmare continued<p>

the Missile Silo

Striker sat slack in his chair chair,pausing at his work. Glancing over at Gunny he dug a cigarette from his shirt pocket. Lighting the smoke, Striker wondered where it would all end...

Striker tried to pull himself together 

The Armory

the Armory

It took Josh a few minutes to get the bolt cutters ansd snap off the padlock and chain securing the gate. Steve forced a way thru the gates and grabbed his friend in a bear hug and exclaimed Damn guy, I thought you were a goner for sure! And released Travis,just so he could punch him on the arm and then just stand there with a wide grin on his face.  
>Hell Steve...if i?d known you were going to beat on me...i would have kept my mouth shut Travis said with a grin as he rubbed his bruised arm.<br>Hell know you need me to take care of ya. and grinned when Travis dodged away when he thought his friend might hug him again  
>Yea right ! Travis shot back and turned to speak to Josh who had opened the gates to allow the van to drive thru,close the gates and wrap a chain thru to secure it,and then walked over to watch the reunion.<br>Can?t help but love him. Travis said with a grin reached over to shake hands with the older man  
>Good to see you again,Josh<br>Hell son,after you left,i just could?nt stay in there and wait for someone to find me,Hell...you might have needed my help...so...i found me some friends...and we came a lookin...Josh replied while giving the young man a firm,friendly shake.

Steve snorted,with a ear to ear grin and said Wait till you see some of our calvary,Trav ,it?ll knock your socks off!

The three men turned to greet the two people who had climbed from the van and moved toward them. Travis nodded at the man in front as he came to a stop in front of him and Steve started the introductions. Gary this is my friend Travis...Travis this is Gary...the first guy to try and run me down BEFORE he even got to know me...

Travis looked at Steve and started to speak but but Steve cut him off...Trav this is Gary?s friend  
>Travis looked back as the person in the rear stepped forward...and the world stood still...for the first time he saw the woman who would share his future for a while<p>

Sharon felt a blush rising to her face as she moved to meet the groups newest member and felt her pulse quicken as she extended her hand and said, So your the wayward friend that left Steve to the mercy of Gary?s driving.

"If there were any here,I think they would have heard us and and attacked by now...i think we may be safe in here...but lets check it from top to bottom...would make me feel better..." Travis answered

Travis enclosed her hand with both of his,smiled and answered Travis enclosed her hand with both of his,smiled and answered I?m sorry...but after seeing you,I believe that Gary was protecting you from my friend the wild man...and I can?t say as I would blame him either...then he just stood there and smiled at her as he fell into the depths of her green eyes.  
>Sharon?s blush deepened even further as she returned his smile with one of her own<br>Steve looked at his friend and the woman grinning like idiots at each other,nodded his head and spoke to Josh and Gary TWANG ! Got both of them dead center between the eyes !  
>Josh chuckled and agreed with Steve Yeah I heard that lightning bolt strike deep to the bone !<br>Gary took a closer look at his coworker and friend and then at the man holding her hand and relized what Steve and Josh were talking about,and spoke to Sharon  
>Sharon...? and got no responce,he looked at Josh and said...First time I ever saw it hit like that...<p>

Sharon s blush deepened even further

Josh chuckled and agreed with Steve

Sharon became aware that she and the man holding her hand were the center of attentionSharon became aware that she and the man holding her hand were the center of attention and slowly withdrew her hand (regretting it the instant their hands broke contact )  
>Travis held her gaze and apoligized once more Forgive my rudeness,miss, my name is Travis (last name ?) And please ignore my wiseass friend...his mouth works independitly from his brain...and your name...?<br>Sharon,Sharon (last name ?) And it is a pleasure to meet you too... and does your friend always ramble on and on like he does ?  
>Sharon he has?nt stopped since the day I met him and that?s been a FEW years of listening to him yack.<br>They both laughed as Steve sputtered then began dening any such thing  
>Their moment of levity broke as Gary said. I hate to cut into everyones good time... but I would feel a lot safer if we could continue this inside and out of sight of any thing wandering around.<br>Travis agreed..if there were any here,i think they would have heard us and attacked by now. I think we are safe for now,but we?ll check this place from top to bottom,just to be sure...  
>And Josh said maybe they got a kitchen here,cuz it?s been awhile since I last ate<br>" I could use a bite myself" Sharon agreed...  
>And Steve just had to say " Hey T. I just may luck out and find a beer..." and then muffled his laugh as Travis turned and punched him on the arm<br>" hell Steve,leave it to you to think of your damn beer at a time like this."  
>"Priorities,Trav,Priorities." he sniggered as he rubbed his arm and followed the group down the hall...<p>

They both laughed as Steve sputtered then began dening any such thing  
>His words sobered the small group and they moved towards the building<p>

Travis could not keep his eyes off the woman they first met at the front gate of the armory..he felt something...when they shook hands...he knew he felt a current transfer between them...he also knew she felt the same thing.  
>Now a few hours later they were gathered in the armory kitchencommon room.  
>Once Josh had snapped the lock on the gates,they had pulled the van in ,parked it among some large trucks to hide it resecured the main gates and Josh expertly picked the lock of the main entrance door. they gathered in the small foyer and decided to split up and explore the armory.<br>Gary,Sharon and Josh went down one hall...Travis and Steve went along the other hall.  
>The armory was small is size so it did not take long to do a quick inventory of the building.<br>now gathered in the kitchen,ideas were being discussed on their next around a large table.  
>Travis,steve,Gary and Josh were discuing what they had found.<br>Sharon was still bringing some utensils for them.  
>Travis's eyes followed her as she moved around the table...he admired the way she moved...he liked looking at the curve of her neck as she leaned past Josh to place some napkins on the table.<br>She turned to hand him a fork..he looked away not wanting to be caught staring...at Josh who grinned and gave him a sly wink. Travis ,flushed,embarassed at being caught.

Two more came up while you were gone...  
>DAMN !Steve swore and looked at Travis...They found us...!<br>They ! ? You mean help? Travis asked.  
>Fuck I wish...No it?s the damn dead things...they seem to know we?re in here and are beginning to gather at the front gate..<p>

Travis edged forward to look around the corner of the building towards the front gate and was surprised at what he saw..Jesus Christ...there must be over a dozen out there!  
>No Shit...we counted only three when we first checked...and evry time we re-checked there would be more...at least they ain?t trying to get in..they just stand there or mill around a little replied Steve<p>

Travis looked at Steve,then over at Josh,who nodded his head in affirmation,then turned for another look...inspecting the fence surrounding the compound,then looked back at Josh and asked, Do you think they can get in here.?  
>Well son,I?ve been watching them for the last hour,and none have made any attempt to try and get in...a few have sorta pushed against the gate...but after a few tries they give up<p>

Travis nodded his head and thought a moment,and said to Josh Okay,if you?ll keep an eye out here,Steve and I will find the others and inform them whats going on...give it maybe a half hour and make a count of how many more join the crowd then come in and join us.  
>Sure,son and if I see them making another attempt to get in...I?ll come running and let you know.<br>Thanks Josh! Travis said,then turned to Steve and continued Come on Steve I think it?s time we developed some kind of a game plan  
>I?m with you Bro? I think we need to head for some high ground. Steve replied as he followed Travis back into the building to inform the others as to what was developing. <p>

Swan and Paulie

paulie

Paulie sat in the front seat of the speeding squad car and stared thru the window into the blackness of the night. He was thinking about the events in his recent past... like just how bad his day had really gone to shit. He mentally tallied his day...bad drugs...,bad deals...BAD DEAD DUDES...and now he was hooked up with,well,he was a fucking prisoner of...aone bad cop...not only was he a bad cop,he was also a mean man.

Things had been ok ...until Swan returned to the police station,driving around the building to enter the reserved lot Stopping the cruiser,Swan distracted Paulie and slapped a pair of handcuffs on locke the other end of the cuffs to a steel ring bolted to the center hump. Swan slid from the cruiser with a gruff order to ?not go anywhere (yea,right,dude) and then walked across the lot to enter at the rear of the building.  
>While the cop was gone,Paulie slid down in the seat sa as not to draw attention if anyone (or anything) happened by. Time passed and Paulie was begining to wonder what was taking the cop so long. He finally heard the faint sound of a door closing and Paulie looked out to see the officer aproaching with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder and one in his walked to the rear door behind Paulie...tossed the two bags onto the rear seat,slammed the door and walked around the car to slide in behind the steering wheel<p>

swan and paulie  
>Paulie had sat in the speeding car and watched as the city gave way to country and after about a half hour,the officer slowed the cruiser and pulled off the highway onto a bumpy dirt watched as the cruiser traversed a short drive and then the trees opened to reveal a very trim looking country cottage sitting in the center of the clearing<br>Swan glanced over at the young man beside him and muttered...  
>My home...Count. <p>

A Day in the Life

A day in the life of the dead

The creature shuffled along the sidewalk...unaware it was dead...unaware it had once been alive...aware only that it was ...hungry

-

The days passed...cities emptied as the living fled for the hoped for safety of the country...and were followed by the hordes of deaduns...always searching for the flesh of the living to fuel their no longer living bodies...  
>The dead had no leader...they could nt speak..read..or write...Hell they were DEAD...Just a mindless zombie driven by a bloodlust...a hunger for the taste of living flesh...especialy the pulsing grey tissue of the brain... torn from the skull of a living person. Any living person found was imediatly atacked,torn apart and devoured. If the creatures were distracted before the victums skull was destroyed...then the remains of the victums die...<p>

Coop in Jail

intro coop  
>He dared to take another sip of water from the toilet tank cont.<p>

"yeah paybacks are motherfuckers!" Coop thought cont.

(still able to laugh,inside over his little lie)

swan and paulie find coop  
>The man with the gun continued to look down at Coop,but he spoke to the man standing behind him..<br>Go find him some grub while me and him have a little chat...  
>By myself? Came a hesitant response<br>YES by yourself...and don t take all day either !  
>Can I have a gun?<br>FUCK NO ! You can t have jack...now get gone before you piss me off !  
>The other man turned and left without sat on his bed and watched as the guy in charge dragged a chair over by the bed,dropped into it while fishing from his shirt pocket a pack oc one for himself,he lit it and tossed cigarettes and matches onto the bed beside man in the chair waited and watched as Coop clumsily shook out a cig,lit it and took a drag...before speaking...<br>So tell me...how does a cop killer end up in minimum security?  
>Coop choked on his cigarette and looked into the cold eyes of the man and tried to sputter...<br>What! No way man...I  
>Don t shit a shitter COOP I ve followed your slimy little career and your reaction just confirmed a few suspicions I had!<br>At loss for words Coop stalled for a few moments by taking several drags from his racing ,he tried to form a plausible responce but could think of sighed,shook his head and decided on the direct aproach.  
>Your right,I got mixed up over a bogus i.d. and just rode with it...trying to save my ass,yaknow.<br>The man in the chair said nothing,he just smoked his cigarette and watched Coop thru hooded eyes.  
>So what now? Cooper asked are you going to roll me over?<br>TO WHO ASSHOLE ! The other man barked  
>surprise Cooper looked at the other man who continued to speak<br>Your the first living person we found...but we have nt looked all that hard  
>What do you mean living person ?<br>A evil grin apeared on Swan s face  
>CONT.<p>

More Dead Stories

More short stories

a wise man once said "When hell is full and there is no more room...then the dead will walk the earth among the living!"

Every passing day,every hour,every minute that passed ...the numbers of dead grew in leaps and bounds,within days the human race was a minority and steadily dwindling.  
>Within days,the tides had turned against mankind. Man now fought just to survive... forget about ridding the earth of the deaduns...that to survive...meant to kill that what was already dead.<br>That was the downfall of many humans,before they discovered the only sure way to put down a deadun was by destroying the brain or burning to ashes.  
>The deaduns never wavered in their search for living flesh,never needing the simple things in life that you or I do ..such as food and water...and rest. The deaduns could survive almost indefinitly with out sustanance...only after several months with no ingestion of living flesh would the body of a deadun begin to deteriate.<p>

Such as the man,the husband,protector of his loved ones,his family  
>Who helplessly watched as a group od Deaduns finally broke thru the barricade into his home<br>Who watched as three of the foul creatures fell on his screaming wife and pulled her to the floor in front of him  
>Who watched in numb horror as one Deadun plunged its hand into her belly and ripped from her stomache a steaming,bloody mass of her intestines...and began to EAT it.<br>Who watched as another Deadun stepped around the three scrabbling over the remains of his now silent wife,and slowly move towards him  
>Who watched(as if he was out of his body) as his arms seemingly of their own accord pulled his twelve year old daughter,who was hiding behind him,and thrust her into the groping arms of the aproaching Deadun.<br>Who watched the look of surprise and fear...then anger cross her face as she relized the depth of her fathers treachery.  
>Who watched as the Deadun pulled his screaming daughter into its arms and bent over to rip a chunk of bloody flesh from her neck.<br>Who watched from the safety ( he thought) of the steps leading up into the attic,as both his wife and daughter were ripped apart and consumed by the ravenous creatures.  
>Who retreated into the attic,pulling the steps up behind him,and crawled into the furthest corner of the attic,curled into a ball and covering his ears in a futile attempt to to block out the sounds of the creatures below feeding on the bodies of his family...and he prayed for the souls of his wife and daughter...but mostly he prayed for forgivness for himself...because deep down he was glad that he was the one to survive...still alive...safe.<br>YEAH,RIGHT!...Safe..  
>Who watched,shocked and horrified as the attic staircase creaked and began to descend...and he relized,too late, that he had failed to pull up the cord that was used to pull down the steps<br>Who watched as the first Deadun appeared from below,locating him,and began crawling across the attic towards him.  
>Who spent the last few moments of his life uselessly praying for his heart to give out before the first Deadun reached him...it did'nt<p>

Safe...you may think so

from Night of the Living Dead  
>Somwhere in central Kansas,a small group of people barricade themselves in a remote only survived part of the night before the Deaduns finally forced their way into the house and overwhelmed the living to kill and consume... only one man survived by retreating into the basement and blocking the door...the next morning,he emerged from the basement...only to be shot by a jumpy hunter who was with a group of national gaurdsmen who were sweeping the area.<p>

from Day of the Dead

Somewhere on the east coast,a small group of people were fleeing in a low on fuel,they landed on the roof of a shopping mall and carefully broke barricaded the outside exits with semi trailers from a nearby truck the had all outside exits secure,they went on a search and destroy inside the mall and destroyed all the Deaduns wandering around inside. All went well for a few weeks until a wandering motorcycle gang found the mall,removed the trucks blocking the entrances and entered the mall to smash and plunder...and the Deaduns followed them inside  
>Retreating from the invading gang and the Deaduns that followed...three of the group escaped in the helicopter and eventually made it to a small island off the coast.<p>

from Dawn of the Dead

At a remote underground government storage facility in the midwest,a small group of scientists,assisted by a squad of marines,studied and tested the Deaduns in futile attempts to find either a cure for the infection of dead OR discover a easy way to destroy the damn things.  
>The marines were around to protect the scientists and also provide them with the 'subjects' they needed to experment on.<br>Left on their own,the group soon split into seperate camps. A fragile truce was in effect until the marines discovered that one scientist was trying to comunicate with a Deadun...Once aware of the gruesome experments done by the scientist...they killed the doctor and took control of the comples. A wounded soldier,knowing he would die from his bite wound,snapped and comitted sucide by opening the gates surounding the complex and bay doors into the facility...allowing the Deaduns to enter...three of the scientists survived and escaped... 

The Missile Silo

the missile silo

Striker slumped in his command chair and dully watched the steady blinking of lights on the control panel and wondered what he would do now.  
>.Gunny had disapeared...the man had mumbled something about going outside to check the comm antennae...and never returned cont.<p>

Leaving the Amory

The Armory

everyone had gathered in the common room for the final discussion of their leaving.  
>Sharon looked around at the people of the group...a newsman...a handiman... the wise ass (Steve)...and the unofficial leader of the group...also the same man that made her knees go weak...but also she just knew that this man (Travis) would protect her even at risk of his own gaze lingered on Travis as he discussed options with the group. His eyes locked with hers for a moment and she felt a shiver race up her spine feeling the spark that flashed between them in just that glance...Whoa girl she admonished herself...Now is not the time OR place to fall for a man...especially someone you you just met and knew nothing about...but DAMMIT...we could all be dead in a few days...hell hours...<br>She glanced at Travis again...She knew that she would be safest no place else but close to him...and she wanted to be with him...and for a few minutes she was able to forget about the reality of the horrors in the world outside of their momentary haven at the armory...

Travis looked at the rest of the group and spoke  
>Then I guess we all agree...after several days holed up in this armory we have been able to moniter radio frequncies ...we are in a world of hurt...and can depend ONLY on ourselves for survival...and that we all agree to gear up here with supplies and try to make it south to the island Josh knows of...if deserted we ll set up a home base there and begin doing our best to prepare for survival...correct?<br>Evryone agreed so a plan was made and preprations for leaving the armory began...  
>Two more days and the journey would begin...and heaven help them all..<p>

tried to guess how many had followed cont

travis and group leave armory  
>After leaving the armory the group went buy the hospital so Travis could get the Bronco...<p>

intro gordon and tillman

Gordon,Tillman and Father Rueben

intro gordon and tillman

Pvt. Gordon crouched behind a car,wiped the sweat from his eyesand looked over at his buddy Tillman and spoke...  
>This sucks it really sucks...is anybody really sure what our orders are.?<br>Tillman Shook his head and grumbled...  
>All I heard is that some preist has told those in his area should bring all their dead to be blessed and now the tenement is full of living and deaduns...we are to find the deaduns and terminate completely then evac any living we find...<p>

intro father ruben

the tenement

inside  
>Father Ruben rested on his knees outside the fenced area that split the room in half and prayed for the lost souls of those inside ...and listened for the noise of those that would destroy the lost ones without first letting him give last rites rites,behind him many of the remaining living tenants prayed and cried for those locked behind the chain link Ruben was silently praying last rites when he saw one of the corpses twitch...His eyes widened in amazement as he noticed that several of the corpeses were twitching and beginning to thrash about within the Rubens first reaction was that they had made a mistake and placed a living person inside the enclosure.<br>Despite the pleas of the other living people in the basement,he rushed to unlock the padlock and chain and open the gate to the relized his mistake the second the neareast body to him raised from the floor and slowly looked up and into Ruben's eyes...and Father Ruben looked back into the eyes off the deadun and saw ...nothing...no sign of life... no sign of a soul. Just a empty shell that rose and walked like one of the Deadun looked past Father Ruben and fixed its gaze on a living person outside the fenced area...and that?s when Ruben saw something in the eyes of the deadun...a look of hunger...but strangly the deadun had made no move to attack him.  
>Father Ruben knew that the dead ones were special..and that he himself had been brought here by there Lord to lead them...he knew the moment he unlocked the heavy duty padlock and opened the door...the now moving deaduns passed by him and fell on the other living people in the basement...he knew as he watched the deaduns tear into the few living and felt no remorse for their agonizing deaths at the hands of the deaduns...for they were the reborn the NEW angels of God<p>

outside  
>A commotion at the door of the tenement got the attention of national guardsmen Gordon and Tillman,they looked up to see the door slam open and a woman stumbled out screaming she could stumble down the steps a man stepped up behind her...grabbed her by the shoulders...pulled her close...placed his mouth on her neck...and BIT deep...then yanked back tearing a chunk of flesh and gore from her neck.<br>The shocked guardsmen stood and watched as blood spurted and sprayed a wide area around her in red...a few of the men lost their lunch at the site of the creature chewing on the warm flesh of the woman.  
>Gordon was first to react...cradling his rifle and taking careful aim..he placed a bullet into the head of the away half the head and spraying blood,bones and gore all around. the Deadun colapsed,pulling the unconcious and near dead woman down also and the two bodies fell and rolled down the steps to land with a wet thump at the feet of the gaurdsmen..Gordon walked across the sidewalk and stood looking down at the limp bodies. He inspected the wound on the womans neck and shook his head,knowing she was moments away from death. He pulled his pistol out...chambered a round and said to the near dead woman..Rest in peace and fired a bullet into her head...putting her to permenent rest. Placing his gun back in it s holster he turned and looked back at the other guardsmen...<br>Ok guys you know what to do...let s find the deaduns...terminate fully... CONT.

The group of gaurdsmen entered the building...and entered a nightmare.. People running screaming thru the halls deaduns stumbling among them grabbing and attacking whenever they could...The Gaurdsmen trying to shoot and destroy the deaduns without harming any of the living..and quickly learning that those of the living that were wounded seriously quickly died and just as fast rose as a deadun.  
>For some of the guardsmen it became this...Fuck this..kill or be killed...uh uh.<br>Full destruction became the it moved...then fuckitup...make it move no more  
>It took the better part of 2 hours for the squad to do a full search of the floors,every room had been checked for any living or deaduns had been destroyed and the living had been evacuated and sent to the nearest there they would be evacuated out of the danger the building was cleared all the ground floor entryways were secured and a large red x was spraypainted on the front entrance.a signal that the building had been searched and cleared.<br>The remainder of the squad regrouped in front of the several of the squad had minor wounds and ammo was running low,it was decided that Gordon and Tillman would continue on a recon and the remaing squad would return to local base camp to resupply and would then contact G and T by radio and decide on a place to regroup and continue with their search and squad pooled their ammo and gave G and T as much as they could and Tillman stood alone in front of the tenement and watched as the rest of the squad quickly moved down the stree and disapear around a corner.  
>They spent a few minutes to distribute their ammo in different pockets,deciding on which direction they wanted to their rifles they started walking further into the city,further into hell.<br>Several hours later the two men were in a deserted deli,Gordon was rooting around behind the counter,trying to find some food and some cold was unsuccessfully trying to contact anyone from was frustraded and more than a little worried,he had not been able to contact the base or anyone from his squad for over a the time of their last contact he had been informed that his squad had resupplied and would soon leave camp with intent to connect with T and G at a location not far from where they were at the sat at a table near the front door of the deli so he could keep a wary eye on the deli front entrance and the street slammed the radio down on the table and dug apack of smokes from his fatigue pocket,he listened to Gordon banging around in the deli and hoped that Gordon would luck onto some cold drinks..and hoped that when they met with the squad that someone would have some smokes cus he was nearly out...and woe to those that crossed his path if he ran out of walked up to the table and dumped what he had gathered on the table,  
>"well it's not a lot but it'll get us by for now..no ice but i did find a few cans of coke." he said.<br>The two men quietly ate the few rations and discussed their next move...they decided to hole up for the night,not knowing when they might connect with the squad,they both agreed it was far to dangerous to be on the streets after dark. Finishing their meeger meal the spent a few minutes checking their gear,preparing to return to the street and head for a building they had seen down the block that had a big green x on the figured they would gain entrance to the building and climb to the roof,secure the roof for the night and at same time be in a good high location to try and resume getting radio contact with either base or their squad...or somebody,anybody.  
>Leaving the deli they stood in the recessed doorway and scanned the street in all directions,satisfied it was safe for the moment the began moving down the street towards their destination a half block the building,they quickly forced their way in and resecured the quickly ascended several floors and found the door leading to the roof exiting onto the roof they made sure they were the only bodies ,living or dead,once the roof was clear,they secured the only entrance to the roof,making sure noone could surprise them from within the building.<p>

They had been on the roof for a few hours..nering late afternoon..when they wereatracted by a loud commotion begining to be heard from the building next door...the two men bellyslide to the retaining waall directly across from the noise across the alley...they slowly raise to peer over the wall top to view what they could without exposing themselves... CONT.

The President

Random stories of life and death

Mankind went nuts as the plague of living dead spread swiftly across the country and the entire planet. A desprate (and losing) war for survival was fought wherever living and dead met. Chaos reigned supreme. State and local authorities were slow to react... hard to believe stories of dead coming to life and walking...  
>Many people refused to believe it was possible...until one was met...by then it was usually to late...<br>The dead clawed thru dirt and mud to rise from their graves,they walked away from car wrecks,stumbled from the mangled remains of crashed airplanes,rose from operating tables before the stunned doctors and nurses...the dead wanted one thing...to consume living flesh...most especially the delicous delicacy of fresh living brain tissue.  
>A large number of the living population,panicked and died or froze in fear,and were killed quickly. Many escapeda encounter with a deadun with minor wounds only the wound would become infected and the person would die...and then rise to join the ranks of the dead. Ignorance or just plain stupidity (depending on how you looked at it) killed most of the people. In this day and age...people saw horror movies with such graphic special effects...they would think... it s only a movie...or a very bad dream and die to become undead.<br>In almost every group of survivors,there would be one idiot (a familiar scenario used in many sci-fi and horror flicks) that would face the monster of the moment while excaiming Don t fear my friends...i can slay this foul creature (the same creature that has just destroyed a bunch of people) and save us all! And then promptly get his ass waxed which in turn usualy resulted with the deathes of most of the rest of the group.

...the President...

Air force one sliced thru the night...Somewhere over the eastern seaboard. Inside was the President,top aides and agents that always accompanied the countries leader...  
>The President turned in his chair at the sound of the door opening and watched agent Stone enter the cabin and walk across to stand in front of the presidnt's desk. The weary leader removed his glasses...and rubed his forehead as he spoke to the agent.." Sit down Terry...it's long past the time to stick to protocol...sit..take a load off."<br>" Thank you sir." stone replied and he pulled a chair over and sat down,placing a stack of fax notes on the edge of the desk.  
>Nodding his head at the stack of notes,the President wearily asked " so how bad is it?"<br>" Not good sir...comunications is all screwed up...we can say for certain that we have a problem with finding a secure field...many have been compromised by Dead. Total chaos down there and we're up here blind as bats.."  
>The President sighed,and leaned back in his chair,and wondered why he ever got into raising his head,he asked "What about secratary Baker?"<br>"Im sorry sir...he died just a few minutes ago...we put his body in the third pilots seat and covered him with a blanket."  
>"at least he's spared the sight of the country he loved being destroyed..."<br>The plane took a sudden lurch,the President tensed in his seat,the plane dropped a hundred feet and just as quickly bounced UP a hundred feet higher than it was before dropping and then leveled to a smooth flight.  
>The President forced himself to relax and grinned weakly at the agent and said...<br>I HATE flying...  
>And clutched his chair again as the plane began to bounce around as if it had entered a large pocket of turbulence...and both men jumped as the cabin door slammed open and another agent,splattered with blood,staggered in and screamed..<br>Sir !..It s Secretary Baker...he s alive...and gone beserk inside the cockpit !  
>Agent Stone tried to pull himself from his seat and screamed at the other agent.<br>YOU IDIOT ! He s not alive...he s a deadun now...MY GOD...we ve got to destroy him...destroy his brain...  
>Everone in the cabin was slammed to the floor of the plane as it lurched up...and over<br>stress ripping one huge wing from the fuselage...and the plane plummeted to the earth ...crashing into a suburb of Boston...wiping out a entire city block,killing hundreds...putting a end to all the Presidents problems. 

The Prison

Days go by...people fight and die,live and love..and kill to survive.  
>At the prison..JT Swan had pulled together a small army of survivors...cons from the prison,punks and thugs from all walks of life...and the people unable to survive alone,needing a leader to follow.<br>Swan leads several excursions from the prison into nearby towns. Taking whatever they wanted...killing any who resisted...taking only the women they wanted...to be used freely by one and all.  
>Swan uses brutality,fear,and greed to insure his leadership. Swan is driven to find every weapon he can stockpile<br>Coop has become right hand man...Swan s lutenant  
>Paulie is shoved around and used as a errand boy<br>Eventually Swan becomes afraid to leave prison..he directs Coop to keep scouting parties out in the field

One such scouting party is taking a break in clearing in woods...  
>Coffee and Cathy are captured before they relize danger..<p>

Gunny and Coffee

Gunny was tired...tired of killing...tired of avoiding the living...tired of killing the already dead...tired of always being on the edge..(relaxing resulted in accidents which usually meant getting yourself dead)  
>For days...Gunny had wandered south..killing any deaduns he let his military instincts and training control him and he became more machine than man...but even a machine needs fuel and maintenance. Gunny had been pushing himself hard and to fast without decent rest. He knew he needed to join with others to survive and was suprised at his eagerness to talk to someone...anyone. Now he was several miles from a city,following a two lane country along the edge of the road,deep in thought,senses on automatic,he was off the road into the trees before he relized the noises he was hearing were human...Adrenalin flowing he moved deeper into the trees and moved towards the voices in in the distance.<br>Senses alert he slowly neared the sounds of several people and could see a fire burning in a moved a little closer and could see several men standing and sitting around a fire on the far side of the clearing from him. On cat feet,he moved to within about fifteen feet of the men and paused to watch and listen..

More mutters of agreement...and another man spoke  
>One man lifted a bottle of whiskey and took a long pull from it. The man lowered the bottle and wiped his other hand across his mouth while handing the bottle to the man beside him and spoke...Hell maybe we should ask our new friend to join us..<br>A general mutter of assent from the group around him...Damn right! He continued  
>It s time we got some of the fresh meat,instead of wore out hand me downs!<br>Another man muttered Hell..Last one I had was more dead than alive ..a waste of time...  
>Gunny,curious,strained to look around the clearing to determine who the group was talking about...<p>

More mutters of agreement...and another man spoke What about her friend?  
>FUCK-IM! Let the black bastard watch while we FUCK his old lady !<br>Yeahs and Damrights and more threats from the men as they continue to pass the bottle around...  
>Gunny knew trouble was brewing for someone,he moved back into the shadows and began to circle the clearing,looking for the subjects of their a slight movment at the far side of the clearing,he moved closer,keeping a close watch on the group around the fire,and saw two people tied to a tree,moving closer he could see a black man and a white woman huddeled close,whispering to each other...Gunny looked back at the group by the fire and contiued to move closer to the tree. Cont<p>

Coffee moved close enough to the clearing to see that none of the men were inclined to find them at the looked for sign of the man that had freed them ... seeing none,he turned to move back to Cathy...felt a hand cover his mouth and felt his feet swept from under to the ground,the hand was removed as he heard a fierce whisper in his ear.. When I say stay put I mean stay put...I damn near snapped your neck!  
>I...I m sorry...I just wanted to help<br>No harm done this time...where s the woman? Gunny asked  
>At the rocks..like you said...<br>Ok Gunny grunted...Stay with me and we ll fetch her and blow before those silly fuckers back there regroup.  
>A chagrinned Coffee followed the man to the pile of boulders...<p>

Yeahs and Damrights and more threats from the men as they continue to pass the bottle around...  
>Gunny knew trouble was brewing for someone,he moved back into the shadows and began to circle the clearing,looking for the subjects of their a slight movment at the far side of the clearing,he moved closer,keeping a close watch on the group around the fire,and saw two people tied to a tree,moving closer he could see a black man and a white woman huddeled close,whispering to each other...Gunny looked back at the group by the fire and contiued to move closer to the tree<br>Coffee moved close enough to the clearing to see that none of the men were inclined to find them at the looked for sign of the man that had freed them ... seeing none,he turned to move back to Cathy...felt a hand cover his mouth and felt his feet swept from under to the ground,the hand was removed as he heard a fierce whisper in his ear.. When I say stay put I mean stay put...I damn near snapped your neck!  
>I...I?m sorry...I just wanted to help<br>No harm done this time...where?s the woman? Gunny asked  
>At the rocks..like you said...<br>Ok Gunny grunted...Stay with me and we?ll fetch her and blow before those silly fuckers back there regroup

A chagrinned Coffee followed the man to the pile of boulders...

CONT.

Coffee and Gunny were barricaded inside a small building...surounded by dozens of Deaduns..all of them fighting to enter the building and reach the living humans trapped two men had retreated to the top floor of the building...entering a small room they quickly used what furniture was in the room to block the only door into the room...but they both knew it was only a matter of minutes before the crowd of deaduns would find them and force their way into the room...Gunny crossed the room and used the butt of his rifle to smash the window and look out...and down only to see several deaduns stumbling around in the narrow alley below...looking across at the building next door he could see there was no way they could cross without a rope...Gunny looked over to his young friend..busy lodging evry item he could find into any hole around the door entrance...a futile attempt to stop the deaduns sure to locate them at any minute...  
>Looks like we make a stand here...no way across and a alley full of them...<br>Coffee looked at the grim faced man beside him and said,  
>" Words Sundance.."<br>"HUH?" the puzzled marine asked  
>sorry,gunny,i guess you never saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid...<br>No,can t say I have,Coffee,...what bout it?  
>Coffee explained..Butch and Sundance were two western bankrobbers...they fled the law and went to bolivia...the Bolivian army caught up with them in a small town...they two of them were in a small cantina surrounded by a few hundred soldiers demanding their surender...and Butch and the Kid...take it to em!<br>Gunny leaned in close to Coffee and shouted into his face..  
>YA DAMN FOOL...THEY ALSO GOT THEIR ASSES SHOT OFF !<br>Coffee...paled and stepped back..hanging his head he softly mumbled..  
>Aw Gunny...I just figured that you and me together could handle most anything<br>...most anything at all...

Gunny steps closer to a window for a better look..and is elated to see two men in military garb...  
>What is it Gunny?<br>The Green Machine ! Is what it is !  
>The who..?<br>The fucking calvary,kid ! The fucking fat lady ain t done singing here yet!... you hold those dead fuckers back as best as you can...give me a minute to work something out.  
>I ll do my best...just don t take to long...<p>

Gunny looked at the nervous young man,nodded and turned toward the window.  
>Gunny...?<br>Gunny turned from the window Yeah kid...  
>Can I say it..?<br>A puzzled expression crossed Gunny s face as he asked...Say what ?  
>You know...your Mantra !<br>Then Gunny knew what he meant...he glanced towards the attic entrance and back at the young man...Sure ki...sure Coffee...my mantra is your mantra !  
>Coffee looked back at the marine...understood what the marine really meant,using his name for the first time and said..Thanks...Sir...you do what you got to do...I ll make sure you get the time !<br>Coffee turned to face the attic entrance,checked his weapon looked back at the entrance and firmly spoke LET S ROCK  
>Sure kid, Gunny answered,as he turned back to the window he used his weapon to shatter the window and clear it of any sharp shards of out the window he shouted across to the men on the oposite roof. Damn glad to see you guys...will save thanks for later<br>Gordon and tillman were making about their fifth recon of the building perimeter and both jumped at the sound of breaking glass,looking across the alley they saw a man...no,by god, a milatary man,another grunt,lean out the window,and call out to to a spot directly across from the grunt they conferred and began making plans for getting the grunt and aperantly another man across to the safety of their ran across the roof to a pile of window washer equipment they had found earlier and began to struggle with a rope they had seen entangled within the stayed at the roof edge looking for a secure spot to tie the rope when Gordon brought it back...Hearing gunfire from acroos the alley Tillman returned to the roof edge and saw the grunt return to the window to speak  
>"I hope you guys have found something to help us out...we got a few more minutes maybe then theres gonna be more damn dead fuckers than we can handle..."<br>Tillman glanced over his shoulder to see Gordon win his struggle with the entangled rope and begin running across the roof trying to untangle rope as fast as possible. Tillman called across to Gunny that a rope was on the way...to just hang on for a few more minutes...Gunny responded calmy saying a few more minutes is all they had...Tillman saw Gunny look back into the room and say something to whoever was in there...looking back at Tillman Gunny shouted "hurry up" and he then disapered from now heard the sound of 2 weaapons being fired as Gordon came to a stop beside him...they quickly secured the rope to some pipes running across the roof and coile the remaing roof for a attempt to throw rope across to the waiting guys now involved in a full scale gun battle Gordon and Tillman anxiously waited for someone to come to the window ...se eral more shots were heard..then a explosion made them jump...a few seonds later Gunny apeared in the window..."any luck?" he asked...then nodded his head seeing the coiled rope in one of the mans hands...Gunny turned his head to address the other man with him..."Coffee we'r getting out of here...hold them for a few more seconds ..when i holler dont waste time..just get over to the window and be ready to leave..." Gunny turned back to shout across to the other guys that he was ready...the guy holding the rope fed some out and began swinging it back and forth..to release it in a toss across the alley..all the men cursed watching the rope fall short of Gunny's reach...the man with the rope hurredly recoled the rope for another toss as Gunny hollered that the next toss had to be it ..they were fast running out of time...Hearing a break in the gunfire behind him he heard Coffee swaring and telling Gunny to hurry..he was almost out of ammo..and could'nt hold the deaduns back much longer...Gunny looked back across the roof and saw the rope guy was ready for another toss...Gunny leaned out as far as he could and told the rope guy to give it his best shot...and watced as the man wound it up and released the coiled rope in a high arc across the open space...Gunny's heart froze,he just knew the rope was going to fall short again...he stretched,nearly losing his grip and concentrated on the rope uncoiling and flying thru the air towards him...Gunny made a desperate lunge and surprised himself by snatching the end of the rope..And not falling out of window to the alley several floors below.  
>Tillman saw Gunny grab the rope and he hollered over to say that this end of the rope was well secured...just get their butts out of there and join them in safety on their roof.<br>Gunny secured the rope around his waist,removed two grenades from his belt and turned to shout at Coffee..."Coffee i'm tied to a rope as soon as i say run...drop your gun, run across the room and jump on me..wrap your arms and legs tight cus we are going out the window we'll swing across and slam into the wall across the alley..itll be a hard hit so hold on good...as soon as y drop your gun and clear the doorway be quick cus these two grenades are going over your head and into the doorway..."  
>Coffee glanced around to see how Gunny was positioned at the window...looked back thru the doorway..and shouted..."ok as soon as i empty my clip ill be ready."<br>Gunny agreed and looked back across the alley and shouted.."get ready we're coming across.."  
>Gunny turned to Coffee and screamed..."NOW COFFEE..."<br>Coffee switched his rifle to full auto and stood firing at full auto into the mass of deaduns outside the room clamering to force their way inside after the two men The last 30 shells in the rifle did a lot of damage...he actually permantly dispached 2 of the deaduns...with lucky head shots...but there were more clambering over the now dead deaduns...they were just knocked about..but they continued to grab crawl,pull themselves always 's rifle ran out of ammo so he threw the rifle at the feet of the two deaduns trying to get thru the door causing them to stumble and fall back into the hallway...Coffee turned and crouced a little as he moved across the room ..he relized that Gunny had just tossed the two grenades aver his head and threw the doorway,he knew he was seconds away from a large threw himself across the room and jumped towards Gunny waiting with one leg hanging out the flew thru the air and slammed into Gunny,the forse of him slamming into Gunny forced them both thru the window and out into the air just as a huge explosion went off in the room behind barely had time to wrap his arms around Gunny when the force of the explosin hit them...throwing them hard across the alley into the wall opisite...Just before they slammed into the wall Coffee felt Gunny wrap his legs around his waist and then they slammed into the wall,knocking the air from both of them..they bounced off the wall as debre bounced and fell all around them..as they again slammed into the wall and hanging there against it...Coffee coughed and felt himself slip as Gunny reached with one hand to grab his belt and pull him up so Coffee could also grab onto the hung there faces inches apart Gunny coughed and cleared his throat..  
>"Ok Sundance i got you...your not gonna fall...<br>CONT.

The Group Begins

PAULIE HELPS CATHY ESCAPE  
>Paulie decides to help Cathy ...once she was returned to prison..she was left in a small holding cell gaurded by two men...paulie sneaks in uses a silenced pistol to kill the two gaurds and releases Cathy and leads her out of prison and helps her meet up with Travis s group.<br>Paulie saw Cooper return to the prison with the female captive,her arrival caused quite a stir within the male ranks because women were in short supply..espially one as atractive as Cathy had long since relized that he was in the wrong place ,involved with the wrong people...and he now had a better than good reason to leave...he knew deep inside he could not allow to happen what would happen to the captured woman...He hung around at the fringe of the crowd and heard Cooper tell two men to take her to a room and stay with her until Swan wanted mto see her.  
>Paulie returned to his cramped room and began to prepare for what he had to do...he pulled open a drawer and removed a pistol that he checked making sure it was loaded..sticking the gun into his belt on his back..he dug into the drawer and grinned...pulling a lead sap out...he shrugged on a light jacket and placed the sap in a rear pocket...in another drawer he found a buck knife that he was profficient at a fast snap open...He looked around the room and sighed,sad that he now had so little (nothing) that he could carry all that he wanted in his pockets.<br>Paulie knew he had to act quickly...before anyone called for the girl... he left his room and carefully made his way to the room he knew the female was being both ways to make sure the corridor was clear he lightly rapped on the door.A moment later the door cracked open and he told the man that he was here to get the girl ready for gaurd opened the door to admit Paulie as Paulie passed he reached into his pocket for the sap quickly he spun and sapped the guy who opened the door that guy hit the ground out cold  
>...Paulie grabbed for the gun at his back and drew down on the suprised gaurd by the woman..<p>

cooper vows to return paulie and cathy  
>Cooper stared at the dead guards, the blood spattered room...and the open door at the end of the hall. He turned to the man behind him to give him instructions...Get word to Swan...tell him ..his stoolie..NO...his pigeon has flown the coop and taken our guest with him...tell Swan NOT to worry...tell him I will take care of our escapees...<p>

paulie and cathy found by gunny,coffee,gordan,and tillman

Paulie paused a moment to lean against a tree and catch his breath...next thing he knew a hand was over his mouth a knife at his throat and a voice wispering in his ear..  
>It s a good thing that girl is not hurt..because of that you may live...for now..<p>

Gordan and Tillman led the group into the woods Gunny hung back at the edge of the woods,he stopped and looked back in the direction they had come from and opened up his senses...felt the presence of a threat...shook his head,he moved a few steps into the clearing and spoke in a low but easily heard growl...Get to close...and you may make me mad...you DON T want to make me MAD !  
>Gunny took a long scan of the clearing,nodded hisa head,turned and melted into the shadows of the forest...<p>

cooper follows  
>Cooper watched the group from deep within the dark shadows of the woods He had inspected the group and decided he could easily return to the camp and have several men help him capture the whole grooup...THEN he saw a man unoticed untill now,move into the clearing pause and then spoke... Hearing the low growling voice .. And the few words...and Cooper knew that this man would be trouble...major trouble.. Cooper glanced back at the man and a chill raced down his spine... The guy was GONE disapeared into the woods... Cooper stared at the spot but could see no movement .. He jerked at the sound of a snapping branch and he fearfully looked around...<p>

coffee and cathy  
>Coffee woke with a grunt and sat up to check that they were still safe <p>

Father Rueben

father rueben starts fanatical group

Father ruben and his followers set up shop at a local high were emptied of unesary chairs and desks and converted into dorm rooms were used for storage and prayer rooms. The huge gymnasium was designed and used as a test for the faithful. The gym had been converted into a huge maze,full of intricate corridors that twisted and turned ...dead ends...blind alleys.  
>Scattered thru-out the maze was a dozen or so endlessly thru the maze.<br>If one entered and actually survived to find the exit...then they were considered true believers and one of God s chosen ones.  
>Few who entered...survived.<br>Father Ruben also used it as a way to punish any who questioned him. The maze could be viewed from a catwalk high above in the rafters of the gym

Scattered thru-out the maze was a dozen or so endlessly thru the maze  
>one man about to be forced into the maze uses his knowledge of a missile silo to bargan his way out of the maze<p>

hears rumors of missile silo wants bomb to be 'hand of god' 

Jackson Smith

Jackson Smith was a walking arsenal...naked,he was as dangerous as any ten men. Geared for war,he was as lethal as any company of men...the man just looked bad...and now he looked like a nigger with a bad atitude...who had just robbed a gun store.  
>Jackson was proud of himself...proud to be a man...proud to be a black man..proud of his abilities...<br>Call me a badass nigger...he thought cuz I am...one bad ass motherfuckin nigger...and im ready to do some ass stomping...  
>Jackson knew his place in the new world and that he had only one purpose in this new world of living and living dead...he would help any of those living that he could...but his main goal was to kill...kill those already dead...and make sure they stayed dead.<br>Armed to the teeth,and then some,he searched for the dead and destroyed them with extreme prejiduce,sometimes almost gleefully,any and all deaduns he could find.  
>He traveled alone,never staying in one area very long,restless and always on the move he found many survivors...some he helped as well as he could..some he found that were no better than the deaduns ...human scavengers living off the struggling survivors...these he had no remorse in killing also.<br>He was always on the move,city to city,town to town ...hit and run and searching for more deaduns to destroy.  
>Jackson began hearing rumors of a city that was controlled by a priest and his followers...rumors of a city that all the inhabitants were controlled by a religous fanatic using his own version of religion...<br>Jackson travels to city and learns that a group has already left to find silo..he follows them and trails them to silo staying behind and out of sight..preferring to observe and then decide what best next to do

Jackson was one patient motherfucker...for several days now,he had maintained a fair distance behind the different groups of people ahead of had been following the different groups for long enough that he knew more about some of them than they did themselves.

The first few days he tracked and learned who was what...the small group ahead of all others was headed for a definite location...the second larger group was following...yet not trying to overtake the first group,,,,,,at least not yet...  
>.the last...much larger group was the most dangerous (the religous nuts ) ...there were some living he crossed paths with that he would give help if possible...but those others...the fanatics with the crazy priest...or those following the ex sheriff ...they were rated kust above the deaduns...maybe worse ...because those people preyed on their own kind...and left their victums to the deaduns sure to follow behind before long.<br>The deaduns he put down with little thought...with deaduns there was NO right or wrong...just the souless need for living tissure especially brain tissue..Jackson mostly used his machete...saving on ammo...one swift swing and headless deadun...one dead deadun...however with the living scum of the earth...he suprisingly wanted to be more mercifull...but often was so disgusted with the etrocity of their actions...he felt it was only justice to show them that retribution was still alive in the world...and retributions name was Jackson.

At times he even felt sorry for the deaduns... 

The Missile Silo

silo  
>striker is insane,begins to booby trap silo...Striker held a court martial. On trial was the world...the charge was ...treason<br>Striker slouched in his chair and stared blankly at the blinking console before mumbled several words and finaly spoke aloud Guilty... he straightened in his chair and said louder... GUILTY I find the world...and every one on it but me... guilty as charged...and the sentence will be...will be... He looked at the the console..multi colored lights blinking...and smiled...then finished.. I sentence you to DEATH...death by fire...  
>Striker began to devise a way for one man to do what takes two...launch the missile.<p>

The Group

gunny and group meet travis's group  
>gunny..coffee..cathy...gordon and tillman...meet<br>and paulie

Travis ...Steve...Sharon and josh  
>they all decide to return to silo with gunny to use silo as shelter and live off several years worth of supplies stored in bunker connected to silo<br>FIRST  
>they decide to join and travel to south texas near the mexican border to search along coast for small island that is rumored it was improved by a billionaire survivalist<br>if found part of the group would stay to set up on island and a few selct ones would travel to silo to gather supplies weapons and tools needed for use at the island.  
>They find island..perfect...warm climate small island with rocky shores except for one small harbor. A fast moving chanel separated the island from mainland<br>small enough to be well gaurded ..big enough to provide space for group..  
>Across the chanel is a sturdy dock and a decent road leading to a small city a few miles inland that could also provide them with necessities for years to come.<p>

GROUP PREPARES TO LEAVE ISLAND FOR JOURNEY TO SILO

Lovers and Friends

Travis and Sharon left the house and walked thru the darkness to the beach below,hand in hand they walked over the sand out to the point by the entrance into the by side they stood and watched the stars twinkle in the heavens above them. Sharon turned toTravis and tapped his arm for attention,then stood on her toes to lightly kiss his cheek as he turned towards her. I love you! She said and held a finger to his lips as she continued...I know what your going to say...but it does?nt matter...I may only have you for a short time...but as long as you will have me...I will love you!  
>Travis looked down at Sharon,shook his head and her hand he led her over to some rocks and sat,pulling her down beside him...leaning to her,he kissed her forehead,then her chin and moved to her mouth and kissed her long and deep...they broke apart moments later and regained their composure. Moments later he spoke " you know they say love is just another form of insanity." he said as he lost himself in her dark eyes.." if its true then let me stay crazy forever!"<br>"Travis i can't help what i feel for you,even if the rest of the world has gone to hell in a handbasket,I LOVE YOU! I think I fe3ll in love with you when i first met you..." She searched his face,looking for a sign that he also cared.  
>Travis pulled her into his arms,softly kissed her forehead,then raised her face to passionatly kiss her mouth.<br>Eons of pleasure passed until they pulled apart to catch their breath.  
>"I knew when i first met you that my days as a man alone were numbered.I resisted because we had no idea of what the future might bring" again the kissed...and for a few minutes tried to forget about the horrors they faced daily and enjoyed the pleasure of their few moments together.<p>

Steve stood back in the darkness and watched the two lovers talk and kiss and decided not to interupt he moved deeper into the trees and walked to the far end of the island and found a large rock that he could sit on and still see much shoreline in both directions. He sat and inspected areas that the group had installed fence along the shore that was not to rocky.  
>"Glad we found this place" he thought "I'm tired of fighting those dead fuckers every day... besides i dont want to face anymore of those fuckers without one damn big gun... better yet I'll sit my happy ass inside a sherman tankthen smoke a few of the fuckers" he mused as he left the rock and continued to follow the shoreline and inspect shore and fencing for any possible damage allowing access into the island.<br>He lit a cig and looked at the fence."ten feet of chain link topped with razor sharp barbed wire should keep out any deaduns or other undesirables that could possibly make it across the channel." he told himself "hard to believe we made it this far with so few losses... hmm i wonder how long we'll be safe here on the island...?" Steve flicked the cigarette onto the ground,crushed it with his shoe and continued with his inspection of the perimeter and worrying about their survival. 

Shit Happens

coop reports back to swan and swan prepares force to move to coast and take over

Swan stood at the window overlooking the compound and fumed. As usual he was pissed,as was the case more often than not."Fuckin ASSHOLES!" He grumbled

Travis,Steve,Gunny,and tillman reach silo...contact with striker is futile,gunny uses emergancy code and gets them inside and they start slow desent into silo while facing boobie traps

Gunny and Travis head for the command room  
>Steve and Tillman search for armory room<p>

Striker had known they were coming,he had done his best to rig the firing console to run a automatic left the command room and disapeared into the silo facility

two hours later Gunny and Travis made it to the command room. Gunny went to work defusing the booby trapped door of the command kept watch to ensure Striker did not attempt a reprisal.  
>several minutes later they entered the command secured the vault doors and began inspecting the firing console... mumbling and cursing Striker for the damage he had done.<p>

While gunny worked on the console,Travis inspected the rest of the command several moniters he walked over for a closer look.  
>"Gunny,are these by any chance security moniters?"<br>Gunny glanced over "hell yes, for both inside and outside...there are cams mounted all over this place...hit the black switch at the lower left to power it on ..the four knobs control the cam.."  
>Gunny went back to working on the command console as Travis began checking what all he could see.<p>

Striker figured that Gunny would not have time to interupt the firing sequence...he decided that any interuptions would help slow him he had left the commandroom,Striker had gone directly to a fright elavator at the rear of the compound,he entered and punched a button for level 2,leaving the elavator he walked down a short hallway and stopped at another sealed door...punching in a overide code,the door swung open and he entered a small security room that was responsible for monitering deliveries to the site.

Striker sat before a console and switched on the vid system. he typed in a command and watched the moniter as it blinked on showing the recieving bay one floor above him.  
>The reciving bay was cleverly conceled within a building that from the outside the building looked like a large hay security cam was mounted at a position that allowed it to pan back and forth giving a clear view of all the room except immediatly below...as Striker panned the cam he noticed a flicker of movement outside on of the frosted glass windows...Striker tapped a few keys and the moniter screen divided into four views .<br>Inside the recieving bay...one directly outside the doors of the building...one at the rear of the building and one up high with a wide scan area...  
>Striker was suprised at what he saw..."what the hell..." he muttered.<br>all the outside cams where showing scenes of a battle being fought,scattered across the compound...For several minutes Striker used the zoom feature to get a closer look at various struggles being fought ...as close as he could determine that there was roughly 30 men...and a whole lot of deaduns (where in the hell did so many damn dead fuckers get in?) he thought...watching a few moments he relized that actually at the beginning there had been a much larger force of living men...but their numbers where being steadily reducedby the relentless attacking deaduns...and every man attacked and killed by the deaduns,quickly returned to add to the numbers of deaduns...  
>Striker watched the now 20 or so men franticly trying to find entrance into the building with little success...<br>Striker grinned,reached over and keyed in a few had decided what to green lights on the panel flashed to yellow as a process was started.  
>Striker had typed in a override command that would open every ground level door in the complex...allowing entrance into the complex at several different locations...he then typed in a command that would keep the doors open...with no chance of closing them ...<br>Striker watced as the men outside cheered as the doors began to slowly open and they scrambledto get inside as soon as the doors allowed access..  
>"enjoy it assholes...this is as far as you go...at least for now."<br>Striker bent over the keyboard and typed in his last command..He figured he needed 15 minutes to get to the lowest level of the complex...get to a little known location... it was called a 'deep strike bunker' very secure heavily stocked with provisions for a long period of time...designed for top echelon in government...six people could survive a year inside with little effort...  
>"hell that gives me maybe six years of comfort if i need it...Screw this world...six years and i'll probably rule the planet.."<br>Striker activated a command with a 15 minute timer...then every single door in the complex would open,all elevators would cease operation...but all doors...even the maintenance accesses...everything...wide open.  
>Striker mumbled.." yeah i think thiss may be the distraction i need...Fuck you Gunny...never liked you anyway.."<br>and he pressed the enter key...looked up at the moniter..  
>"Have fun ,boys"<br>and he turned and left the room... center he had gone directly to a freight elavator at the back of the complex. it took him up five levels to a recieving dock concealed as a hay the receiving room he sat at a small computer terminal and turned on the tapped a few commands and got a view of outside the compound and was suprised to view a battle raging outside between several unknown men and a whole lot of deaduns...  
>Striker watched a few minutes and could see that the group of twenty or so men were beginning to lose ground against the steady onslaught from the deaduns..<br>Striker grinned reached over and keyed in a few more commands,he had decided what to green lights flashed to yellow as a process started...He had tapped in a override command that would open the main silo doors and open the wide doors to the fake haybarn...allowing entry into the receiving dock...Striker then typed a long intricate overide command...finished he mumbled a "this should be a little bit of a distraction " and he pressed the enter key...

IN THE COMMAND ROOM

Gunny was still bent over the command console...cussin and bitchin.. Travis was viewing different cams...suddenly several lights on the control panel switched from green to yellow to red and a warning buzzer began to growl..  
>Travis looked at the board "what tha fuc.." Gunny cursed and came to look over Travis's shoulder<br>"that son of a bitch"  
>"what..whats hapening?"<br>Gunny reached over and typed a command with no response...  
>"shit"<br>"what,Gunny, whats goin on?"  
>"that bastard striker has used a overide...he has given a command that opens and locks open every damn door in the entire complex"<br>"damn, uh does that include the doors to aboveground?"  
>Gunny cursed,typed a command and the view on the four moniters changed to show 2 on the main entrance,one inside thre recieving dock and one outside the dock...<br>Both men were shocked speechless at what was revealed...

the rotating cam outside the receiving dock showed the above ground fenced area of the compound was filled with deaduns,the front entrance vault door was wide open and deaduns were allready stumbling thru the door and into the silo...  
>the inside recieving dock cam showed several live men pushing thru the receiving doors while fighting with several men fought their way across the recieving bay and headed for the door leading down into the complex.<br>as the men moved closer to the cams..Gunny swore again and said to Travis..."see that tall dude there?"  
>"yeah"<br>"he's the fucker that had captured Cathy and Coffee!Those crazy fuckers from the prison have followed us here! and goddamn Striker has given them and a big bunch of deaduns free entry into the silo!"

Swan group locked out until striker evades gunny and opens silo

Cooper sweated and cringed before the onslaught of his raging leader... Swan paced back and forth,blasting everyone within the sound of his voice... a voice full of anger...a voice full of danger..and death..  
>WHAT THE FUCKIN HELL DO YOU MEAN...WE CAN T GET IN..?<br>Cooper wished despratly to melt into the floor and disapear...  
>Swan turned and focused his attention...and anger... on his cringing second in command<br>COOPER explain this to me...YOU told me...NO...You garanteed me we had the BEST fuckin b and e man to be found...  
>Cooper just ducked his head more.<br>Swan looked out the window of the quonset hut entrance of the silo and told Cooper to cum beside him...Swan pointed out the window towards the outer compound at the high chain link fence surounding the hut...pointing out the crowd of deaduns that had begun to gather...searching for a entry to the hut... feeling,knowing there was living flesh inside...  
>"you see that Coop...more deaduns every hour...and more seem to stumble up all the time..Now tell me Coop whats gonna happen if those things get inside here...and we are not inside the bunker yet...I'll tell you whats gonna happen...if you dont have me and the rest inside..and the deaduns breakin... i guarentee you that your fucking ass will be the first one they found.. understand me?"<br>swan group is about to attack when they are attached by ruben group

Swan was getting concerned when a man ran over to Cooper and shouted into his ear..Cooper grinned and ran to Swan.."We're in..come on now ..."  
>Swan looked over at the four men gaurding the front entrance and relized he had no concern for turned and gestured for the other men around him to follow he and Cooper to a safer spot..inside the silo.<p>

Swan and his men fought the attack from the rear by Rubens men,outnumbered they slowly retreated into the silo...and fought to a hours later one of Reubens men opened the outer bunker door and was imediatly attacked by several dead-uns waiting there...and the dead pour into the silo

thousands of deaduns converge on silo

running battles are fought inside silo by different fractions

dead attack all

Striker is torn to bits by several had left the upper level control room and used mainenance portals to make his way back to the now deserted main command room. He was sitting at the control panel turning both useless keys in their slots..demanding for the missiles to fire...ignoring all else he tried to launch the missiles with sheer will power. and several deaduns stumbled into the small room and immediatly attacking ignores the deaduns...knowing that all would be ok if he could just get that damn fire sequence to start...that is untilll groping fingers moved onto his eyes...and into his mouth...and unable to ignore the pain of of eyes being ruptured and his tongue being ripped from his throat...

jackson smith helps group escapee from doomed silo  
>Jackson arrived at the silo site slowly drawing near avoiding deaduns when he could<br>destroying them when he had to  
>Jackson decides to enter the silo...entering the first empty room he muttered.."come out come out wherever you are,ally ally alll in free...come out so i can blow your dead brains out...put you down...kill you for SURE"<br>Jackson disapeared into the silo...letting his pure instincts control his direction...

As Steve struggles with two deaduns slowly losing the battle a door behind him opened and he heard a voice  
>Hangin there guy lemme help<br>a gun barrel apeared and blasted the deadun in front of Steve..knoking it back against the wall Steve turned to fight the other deadun and slipped in the gore scattered on the floor as he fell to a heap the deadun grabbed his hand and bit a chunk out of the fleshy part of his palm. Steve fell back screaming...trying to escape further attack from the deadun and watched a huge man step thru the door glance at him and turned to dispatch both deaduns with blast from a shotgun...  
>At that moment Travis and Paulie came running in from the other tunnel scidding to a stop at the site of a huge black man standing over their friend with a smoking shotgun in his hand<br>here cums the calvery Jackson mumbled and leaned down to help Steve to his feet murmuring  
>is ok now sonny...Jackson got you now...he got your back...<p>

Travis,steve,paulie and with jackson meet up with gunny and tillman,jackson and gunny confer and decide on best route out of silo  
>Steve seriously infected goes downhill fast<p>

Each of the small group of survivors send a few minutes alone with Steve...some to wish him God speed,some to thank him for voluntering to stay..some unable to express their grief reached out to touch him..or gently squeeze his hand...Jackson clasped hands with Steve and locked eyes for another moment,and saw forgivness for not being 30 seconds sooner...And Jackson knew he did not have to ask for it either...gave a extra squeeze to the hand shake...turned and left the roommuttering a low..."no need to hurry...but da clock is tickin...time is short for all..." to Travis...  
>...and all left till there was two...<br>They were on oppisite sides of the room. One near death,was streched on the couch...the other...his best friend...  
>Travis sat bone loose in the chair and watched his best friend die...tears rolled down his cheeks...Steve opened his eyes and stared at his friend...snorted disgustedly...and winced in pain.<br>Shit Travis...you gonna be a baby about this?  
>Travis looked into his friends eyes...saw how near death his friend was...<br>TRAVIS..WE BOTH KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN...DO ME !  
>Travis shook his head and answered...I WILL do you... just not yet..<br>WHEN...Steve demnanded  
>Travis hung his head for a moment then looked up into his best friends eyes.<br>I will NOT kill you,I will NOT murder my best friend...BUT I swear to you when you die...I WILL PUT YOU DOWN FOR GOOD !  
>Steve grinned painfully,and held his hand out to his friend. Travis quickly crossed the room and knelt by his dying friend to grasp his hand...<br>We been down the road a few miles together...you and me..Steve gasped  
>There and back my friend...there and back! Travis said trying to smile thru his tears...<br>..Steve closed his eyes for a moment...when he spoke his voice was weak...  
>I want to do a toss...if I win then you GUARANTEE me that you?ll do me before I become one of THEM...<br>Travis could barely choke out a response...as he reached into his pocket to remove a quarter...he flipped it high into the air...as Steve spoke...  
>Heads I win,Tails I win !<br>Travis sobbed and hugged his friend not watching to see how the coin landed...just hugged him and whispered Damn! Steve, you won it...you win my friend...  
>Travis felt his friends body slowly go limp in his arms but he continued to hug him.<br>Travis could feel his body already cooling even before true death...  
>Steve opened his his to stare into his friends and said..<br>You were always my best friend...and then some...  
>Steve fell silent...his body trembled with a final spasm of the body as life slipped from him...Travis felt a slight increase of pressure from the hand in his as life left left the body of his friend...the pressure relaxed...and slipped from his hand...<br>Travis lowered his head and cried..at the death of his friend and for his loss of the best friend he had ever known  
>Several minutes later...Travis used a hand to dry his eyes he looked at his dead friend for a moment then moved to slip his friends body into a full recline on it s knelt on the floor by his friend to rest a hand on it s forehead. Silently Travis stared at the body of his best friend...shortly he felt a faint tremor pass thru the corpse.<br>Travis began to cry again as he used one hand to stroke the forehead of his dead friend ... his other hand moved down to remove the pistol from his hip...Travis placed the barrel of the gun against Steve s temple,lowered his head for a final prayer... then opened his eyes to stare at Steve s closed ones...  
>Travis saw movment behind the closed lids...and said Thanks for being my friend<br>The eyes of the corpse opened...dull dead eyes  
>Travis finished...AND THEN SOME !<br>And pulled the trigger of the gun ...

The echoes of gunfire was heard by those who grieved...knowing a good man was dead...twice...and finally resting in saddened even more knowing Travis would suffer death by three...death of a small part of his heart,death of his friend...and death of his friends deadun...  
>Travis leaves the small room that held the remains of his friend and at once Gunny and Paulie were at his side,consoling him with their silence.<br>A few minutes of silence and Jackson murmered  
>friends we do be needin to vacate this place...won t be long and all that insanity that followed ya ll in here will find this place...<br>Travis straightens and walks over to Jackson..saying...  
>Steve told me how you helped him...and I apreciate that...and he said I owe you a big one...and he's right I do...name it anything you want i'll try and get for you...<br>Jackson looked down at the man before him replying  
>Shucks Sonny...i only did what i d do for ANY living human...all I want is for us to leave this place ...I need room to move and this place is nuthin but a deathtrap...<p>

Jackson looked thru the one way glass into the room full of milling were all that stood between the living ones and the exit door on the far side of the room...to retreat meant facing even more deaduns...certain death...cross that room go thru that door and they were home free out of the complex.  
>sounded easy...<br>Jackson muttered "i'm gonna webb wilder their ass!"  
>Gunny looked at Jackson a puzzled expression on his face...<br>"A rock dude...Webb Wilder did a song 'Tuff it out' its about making our own decisions and standing behind them."  
>Gunny grinned "semper fi" it means army of one"<br>"ok gunny then in your language i'm gonna semper fi their asses."  
>Jackson spent a few minutes he was going to do was dangerous...enter a room with a dozen deaduns and put them down for good...doing it with the weapons at hand..<br>Jackson used some rope to sling 2 riot guns at his side...his last four shells divided between the two pulled his combat special forces magnum from the shoulder holster...counted his shells...four...he slung his machette to his side...making sure it was easy to grasp and bring out for use..last weapon he put on was to sling a special forces knife over his shoulder and settled it between his shoulder blades.  
>He opened the door,was startled to find a deadun standing before him...slumped...head hanging down ..<br>Jackson pulled the magnum from its holster leveled it at the deadun...softly touching the end of the barrel at the top of its head...sensing living flesh..the deadun raised its head...blankly looking at Jackson...Jackson aimed at a spot centered between the eyes..level with its eyebrows...Jackson saw the deaduns eyes twitch and focus on him...before the deadun could react/attack...Jackson fired..blowing the top of the deaduns head away...  
>as the dead deadun swayed on its feet..Jackson shoved the body aside and stepped fully into the room...he quickly downed another deadun with a shot from the magnum.<br>Jackson did a quick count ...seven more deaduns to deal with... he used his last two bullets for the magnum to down another deadun...six left and closing...  
>he slapped his magnum into its holster with his right hand..used his left to swing up a riot gun...made himself slow down...take aim...blew the head off of the nearest deadun..then did the same to th deadun behind it...his moves automatic...his body on autopilot...even tho a part of his brain was loudly screaming into his mind..."4n2...four deaduns...two shells...4,2,4,2..oh fuck..."<br>he took one more down with one shot...3 and 1,3 and 1..his mind movement behind him...turned and was startled at how close the deadun was...he raised the riot gun placing the barrel against the deaduns throat and pulled the trigger...a click..a misfire..a dud shell...Jackson shoved hard with the short riot gun..pushing the deadun back a step...using his free hand he pulled the machette free and swung up as hard as he could...screaming'MOTHERFUCKER' missed the throat and sliced up into the skull...trapping the on to the machette's handle he used momentum to swing the deadun trapped upon his machette around into the path of the last 2 deaduns slowing them both for a moment...Jackson used the moment to place his back to a wall...he reached back and pulled out his spec force knife ...watched the last two deaduns stumble past their obstacle and begin to move towrds him...Jackson grinned..."cmon you fuckers ..time to dance...and im leading.!"  
>he knew they had to get close...that he had to keep his back to the wall to survive...Jackson waited...until he felt the fingers of the closet deadun to begin grasping for his arm...something in Jackson snapped...his mind disconected for a few minutes...<br>he snapped back into his mind when Gunny slapped him on the back.

Gunny sets several charges and destroys all ways of escape from silo,catching many of Rubens group as well as hundreds of deaduns.

Reunited

Sharon and others from island meet those returning from silo...

The lead vehicle stopped and the driver climbed out,recgnizing Travis ,she ran over and into his arms ,nearly knocking him over...

"Sharon ,I want you to meet a new friend of ours."  
>She turned to meet the man she had heard walk up behind her...and relized he was about two times taller than herself.<br>He had stopped several feet behind her as so to not startle her too much by his size.  
>She walked up to Jackson stopping just short of touching him ...craning her head back...way back...she looked up into the face of the Huge man taking time to inspect the craggy features of the man...<br>...Jackson calmly looked down at the woman who boldly casual stood staring at him...He saw the smile begin in her eyes first...then a twitch of her lip...she fighting a losing battle to not grin...failing at that she beamed at him and spoke..."On hot sunny summer days I'm sticking close to the shady side of you...!"  
>Jackson tried reeaallly hard to keep a fierce scowl but her infectous grin won him over...he grinned ...reached down...used both hands placed on her hips and effortlessly picked her up and raised her to eye level with him and held her there with no aparent strain involved...<br>At moment of eyecontact...they both instantly knew that the other was that brothersisterbestfriend...the bond was imediate and complete...he knew he would without question give his life for her knowing that no less would come from her with no hesitation..  
>He grinned and said..." Why darlin', i'd be most pleased and honored to be your shade maker any old day..." Jackson looked over at Travis ..."I bet this here little speck of a thing could'nt be with anybody but you."<br>Travis grinned.  
>Jackson looked at Travis then back to her..."Yup you be equals with each other.."<p>

Jackson gently set her to her feet,placing one hand to cup her face,looking deep into her eyes...he felt a click..a connection made...a felt message...and knew she felt it also.  
>Jackson spoke to Travis " As long as i am around,Mr. T ,this here little lightning rod will be safe...I do declare...yessireeee!"<br>Travis replied "My large friend,I got no doubt about that."

Sharon looked around at the rest of the group..." Where..Where's Steve?..."  
>She looked at Travis and could see it in his face...<br>" oh god...Travis i'm so sorry..." her eyes filling with tears...

JACKSON decides to stay on mainland to travel looking for survivors and and to also further fuckup any deaduns he can travels with group and once aware of island location he informs them of his plan. He had been out to the island with Gunny to do a sweep and destroy any deaduns found. The rest of the group was loading supplies and gear onto the 2 available boats.

Prison Falls

swan and cooper (infected) escape silo and return to prison  
>Swan entered the prison grounds a defeated man<p>

Swan unaware Cooper is infected returns to the prison...Swan is attacked by cooper..killed and prison is emptied as group crumbles with no leader... 

Gunny Leaves

travis's group return to island

gunny helps group to secure island  
>after a time gunny becomes antsy decides to leave island for a recon and also lay to rest rumors that swan is still alive and kill him if he has and gunny also hopes to find Jackson and travel with him for awhile<p>

Gunny pulled away gruffly demanding "Don t let me come back and discover the kid has taken over !"  
>Travis chuckled,and replied," then you can only blame yourself,because of you I have a mini marine for a son !"<br>Gunny smiled gave a small wave and turned away before his resolve crumbled and walked back up the beach searching for Sharon and Steven  
>(The kid ) her son and the light of Gunny s life. Gunny had helped birth Steven and as he placed the newborn into his mothers arms the baby had grabbed Gunny s thumb with a tiny hand and smiled...from that moment on Gunny became the childs intant companion,gaurd,teacher,friend and nanny...<br>Hearing noise from the front of the house he walked around the house and stopped at the front corner...for the first time in his life..Gunny was afraid...  
>Afraid of a little bit of a woman..and a even smaller bit of a boy.<br>Unsure how to say goodbye to the woman he considered the daughter he never had...and goodbye to her son... his godchild,18 months of life and love for anyone. Gunny heard Sharon call to her son.  
>"Steven Lewis...come over here and leave Dutch alone!"<br>Gunny smiled,he and everyone else on the island knew that Dutch would calmly suffer any trial that Little Stevie could do towards him...tail pulling..ear grabbing...and love every moment with the boy...Dutch also had become the boys protecter from first meeting...and would easily give his life in protecting the child...With Dutch beside him...Steven was safer than anyone else on the stepped around the corner and spoke to Sharon.  
>Let them play Sis...they don t have much more time together left. Let them say their goodbyes...and we can say ours..<br>Sharon walked over and hugged Gunny,beginning to cry as he wrapped his arms around her and hugged hard,  
>I wish I could stay...and you KNOW I can t<br>Sharon sobbed and hugged harder for a moment..she stepped back and softly punched his chest.  
>Damn you Gunny !..I KNOW..it s...it s just not fair...we did the impossible and survived and lived...even brought new life into the world. ...now when all of us are once again safe here on the island...and you leave us...For that over there" nodding her head at the mainland.<br>Sharon looked over at her son ...doing his best to twist a ear off of the ever patient dog.  
>"I don t think he really understands that you may be gone for quiet a while...".<br>Gunny watched the boy play with the dog and felt his heart breaking,filling with grief and the weight of his loss of leaving the few people he had ever genuinly loved...sadly he agreed...  
>"And I don t have any idea how to explain it to him..."<br>Sharon hugged Gunny again and told him...  
>"Dammit,you come back to us...i MEAN that!"<br>She hugged him hard and stepped away...saying  
>When your done send him down to the beach...I think I need to make sure Trav is ok...<br>Gunny looked hard at Sharon imprinting her face to his memory and quietly replied...  
>Dutch will bring him ...Sharon...you,Travis..the kid ...I...I love all of you...your the only family I have ever had...<br>Sharon stiffled a sob,replied...i know...and we always will be your family...  
>You Son of a Bitch...you better come home in one piece!"<br>Crying openly she turned and hurried around the corner of the house.  
>Gunny watched her from site...trying to swallow a huge lump in his throat.. Taking a moment to compose himself he turned and walked over to where the boy and dog were playing...<br>Seeing Gunny the boy released his grip on Dutch s ear and ran the few steps to Gunny and wrapped his small arms around his lower leg...  
>Unny...Duts is a funny dog... CONT.<p>

Gunny and Dutch stood on the mainland shore and watched the boat return to the island looking down at the dog he spoke  
>Well Dutch, its you and me now...time to lock and load..What say we go find Jackson..see what kinda shit he's got into..."<br>Gunny shouldered his backpack adjusted his web belt and gave the command  
>Dutch...POINT ! Dutch turned and moved inland...nose searching the wind for the scent of any nearby deaduns. Gunny did a mental weapons check...glanced once back at the island then forced himself to turn and follow the dog into the woods... <p>

The Final Chapter

the FINAL CHAPTER

wherever you go...there you are (clint black)

Travis sat on a rock above the sandy beach and watched Sharon and their young son play on a blanket close to the water.  
>This is our home now...he thought,as he looked around him at the small cove with a sandy beach,and at the house behind and above him.<br>Not a bad place to hang a hat at,i guess,just have to learn to stay always on guard and we should be okay.  
>His attention drifted to his wife sa she scolded steven,for a moment his heart was saddened by a momentary thought of his son s namesake,Travis s best friend,killed by Travis<br>God how I miss him...and all the other good people lost at the silo !  
>Travis pushed his sad memories into the back of his mind,stood and dusted sand from his jeans and walked down the beach to pick up his son and hug him then walked over to sit on the blanket beside his wife.<br>Thanks she grinned at him he s a handfull ! She took the child from him and stuck a finger into his diaper  
>Do you think you could deal with two handfulls ?<br>Meaning ? She asked  
>I ve decided...at the next group council...i am resigning,retiring,quitting...call it what you want. Babe...i fought two tours in the green hell called nam...and fought and killed the deaduns all across america...i ve seen enough death and horror to last one man a dozen lifetimes...i m tired... I want to spend my time with you and the handfull here...and maybe another one.<br>Hell,there are several capable men here on the island to replace me. Besides I will NEVER be seperated from you again...!  
>Sharon was silent as she settled her son on the blanket beside her for a nap...turned to Travis and took both his hands in hers...placed them on her stomache and looked into his eyes...<br>Travis...I was nt sure how to tell you this ..but now I know the time is right...the other handfull you spoke about is already two months on the way...  
>Travis chuckled and slid over to hug her and they sat on the blanket and talked about their love for each other and then they became silent and held onto each other as they watched their son sleeping beside them on the blanket...<p>

Later as the sun sank into the sea, Sharon carried the still sleeping baby across the beach towards their shook out the blanket,folded it,and laid it on the diaper he faced the setting sun and enjoyed the golden sunset for a moment... and thought of the lost friends never to see another sunset again...  
>Steve he thought I would nt be here to enjoy the birth of my son ,if not for you<br>Josh...you were the glue that held us together...Thanks my friends...I ll never forget you!..  
>Travis started to pick up the bag and stopped and faced sthe sunset again,and sent one last message<br>Gunny you old bastard,i truly believe your still out there ...kickin ass ,I love you,you old marine bastard  
>Travis stood ramrod straight,snapped a perfect salute held it for a moment..<p>

And said  
>SEMPER FI...DUDE !<br>Travis relaxed,sighed,grabbed the diaper bag and blanket,looked back across the water in time to watch the sun slip below the horizon...and he did not fear the dark,shook his head,turned and trudged thru the sand up the beach to join his wife and son...

And so life...and death...continued...  
>and then some<br>THE END

DATE FINISHED _/_/_


End file.
